Mystics' win over Aces shows their newfound health will add a serious wrinkle to the playoff picture

The Mystics are finally healthy again, and capable of beating any team in the league

If you only scanned the box scores from Saturday night's WNBA action, you would be forgiven for wondering if the final score of the Washington Mystics' 78-62 win over the Las Vegas Aces was correct. It was indeed, as the Mystics picked up their biggest win of the season by forcing the high-powered Aces into their worst offensive performance of the season. In the process, they showed that their newfound health just might add a serious wrinkle to the playoff picture. 

The Mystics were relentless on Saturday, causing all sorts of problems for the Aces with their size, physicality and effort on the defensive end. They collapsed to shut off the paint, flew out to shooters and just generally wreaked havoc on one of the best offensive units the league has ever seen. 

Here's a quick rundown of some of the Aces' numbers from the game, which gives you a clear idea of what the Mystics accomplished:

• 62 points: second-fewest of the season
• 30.8 field goal percentage: lowest of the season
• 20.7 3-point percentage: second lowest of the season
• 17 turnovers: fourth-most this season
• 14 assists: tied for fewest this season

"We stayed locked in to each other," Ariel Atkins said. "We didn't let the little nuances go away and when we had a lapse we didn't let it turn into two, three, four, five mistakes, we stopped it at one or two... Man it feels really good. I'm glad we could get this win tonight."

This has been a frustrating season for the Mystics, who got off to a strong start before they were decimated by injuries and tumbled down the standings; entering Saturday night they were in possession of the eighth and final playoff spot. But after two long months, they are finally close to 100 percent again. Of the key players that were out for an extended period, only Kristi Toliver remains sidelined.

Atkins, Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin were all in the starting lineup against the Aces, and more importantly looked fairly close to their usual selves. The effect was obvious. That trio combined for 42 on 13-of-21 from the field -- the rest of the team scored 46 points on 15-of-49 shooting -- and added 14 rebounds, two assists and three steals, while also contributing to the defensive effort. 

The statistics haven't yet been updated to include this win, so the numbers will likely look even better, but in 255 minutes with those three on the floor this season, the Mystics have a plus-18.1 net rating. The only three-player combination with at least 100 minutes played that has fared better is Delle Donne, Austin and Brittney Sykes. 

In short, the Mystics are a very good team when healthy, and it's looking like they will be come playoff time. That could end up causing a real issue for one of the top-three teams, depending on where the Mystics finish. With the win over the Aces, they are 16-18, and sitting in seventh place in a crowded middle of the pack. 

With six games to play they still have a real chance to move up to the 4-5 matchup, but could end up stuck somewhere between 6-8. If it's the latter, they'll play the Aces, New York Liberty or Connecticut Sun in the first round, and would have the confidence that they could upset any of those squads.