NEW YORK — The Washington Mystics needed this one. Badly.
Coming into Friday night, their only win against a top-seven team this season came all the way back in May, an overtime thriller against Indiana. But then they walked into Barclays Center and knocked off the New York Liberty 86-83. And a big reason why was their rookie point guard.
Georgia Amoore, the 25-year-old Australian who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, put up 10 points and a season-high eight assists over 28 minutes. She shot 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep, but her command of the offense was the story. She turned it over just three times while running the show against a team sitting fourth in the league standings.
After the game, second-year forward Kiki Iriafen didn’t hold back when asked about Amoore’s growth.
“I think Georgia is doing an amazing job,” Iriafen said. “It’s not easy to be a starting point guard coming off an injury. Rookie season, so much is being thrown at her, so much is expected of her. She carries herself with a lot of poise; she’s always trying to find her teammates. Every single game you’re seeing her get more confident, more aggressive, and that’s everything that we need. She’s such a huge piece for us and a big reason why we won today.”
Amoore is now the only rookie besides Minnesota’s Olivia Miles to post a 10-point, eight-assist game this season. And it wasn’t a one-off. Two nights earlier, in an 88-81 win over Connecticut, she dropped 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting with two assists in 19 minutes. That game came without Iriafen (ankle) and Shakira Austin (knee), and the Mystics still won on the road.
Amoore’s season has been uneven, which is expected for a rookie point guard coming off a major knee injury. Her minutes have bounced between 16 and 29. Head coach Sydney Johnson even benched rookie Alicia Florez in crunch time over the last two games, shifting more trust onto Amoore’s shoulders.
Johnson was asked Friday if Amoore is playing at the level he expected at this point.
“It’s hard to say,” Johnson said. “I want a full season of health from her. Definitely want her threes, get those shots up. Please, please, please run the team, use your creativity and charisma. I trust that if she has the health and the minutes, just like Lauren, Cotie, and Cass, she’s gonna grow. I didn’t really put a standard necessarily. I just want her availability. She’s only in her rookie year.”
The fit alongside Sonia Citron is starting to look real. Citron tied her career high with eight assists against two turnovers on Friday, and she’s been the primary scorer when the offense needs a bucket. Against Connecticut, she put up 26 points and 11 rebounds. On Friday, all five starters scored in double figures for the first time since 2022.
Having Iriafen and Austin back helped too. The two combined for 34 points and 13 rebounds, giving Amoore reliable targets in the pick-and-roll. Washington won despite shooting just 4-of-18 from three, largely because they piled up 20 assists against 11 turnovers.
At 7-7, the Mystics are tied with the expansion Toronto Tempo for the eighth and final playoff spot. If Amoore keeps playing like this, that rebuild might speed up faster than anyone expected.
Washington heads to Minnesota on Sunday for a 6:00 p.m. ET tip on NBA TV. The Lynx own the league’s best record at 13-3. That’ll be a real test.
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