Washington is on the outside looking in for a playoff spot after a loss to the Storm

In Elena Delle Donne’s return, the Washington Mystics lost their fourth straight game as they fell to the Seattle Storm 85-78 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoon.

The Mystics got off to a 11-2 start before Seattle called timeout to regroup early in the first quarter. Delle Donne scored on her very first attempt, which was a welcoming sight. Myisha Hines-Allen started 0-4 from the field. Seattle made a small run towards the end of the first quarter and brought the score within three, 21-18.

To start the second, the Storm picked up where they left off while the Mystics went ice cold. You could tell in the first half Tina Charles and Delle Donne haven’t played with each other because the chemistry offensively was off. With 1:50 minutes left in the second quarter, the Storm opened up a 10 point lead on the Mystics and took a 43-33 lead into halftime. The Mystics only scored 12 points in the second quarter to Seattle’s 25.

The Mystics started to play better in the third quarter, cutting the lead to four with 4:28 remaining. But the Storm would go on a run. Whenever the Mystics got in reach, the Storm would make some big plays and extend their lead.

“We’re not a disciplined team,” said Charles during the fourth quarter media timeout. “That’s why our games have been the way they’ve been.”

In the fourth quarter, the Mystics kept plugging away. Washington finally took their first lead since the second quarter with a three from Hines-Allen with 3:27 remaining. A three from Sue Bird with 2:53 remaining put the Storm’s lead at 78-74. A pair of free throws from Jewell Loyd and a three from Stephanie Talbot extended Seattle’s lead to nine and put the Mystics out of their misery.

The Mystics were talking about championship aspirations prior to the restart of the WNBA season. The Mystics have lots of work to do if they even want a spot in the playoffs, let alone to compete for a championship.

The Washington Mystics will play the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday, August 24th at 7p ET.