Storm, Mystics to meet in WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals are set after the Washington Mystics and Seattle Storm won deciding Game 5s in the semifinals Tuesday night.

For the Mystics, the Finals berth is a first in franchise history. Washington beat the Atlanta Dream 86-81 on the road, with rookie Ariel Atkins leading the way with 20 points.

Kristi Toliver added 19 points, while Tianna Hawkins scored 17 off the bench and Elena Delle Donne contributed a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird led the way for the Storm in their 94-84 home victory over the Phoenix Mercury. Stewart led the team in scoring with 28 points while Bird went off for four 3-pointers and 14 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Alysha Clark added a double-double for the Storm with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Mystics, which formed in 1998, is the last WNBA team to make it to the Finals. The team had been to the semifinals twice before, losing to New York in 2002 and to the eventual champion Minnesota Lynx in 2017.

Seattle is playing in its third WNBA Finals, having won championships in 2010 and 2004.

Game 1 of the 2018 WNBA Finals is set for Friday in Seattle.