The short-handed Washington Mystics were routed at home on Wednesday. Less than 48 hours later comes an opportunity to push aside the bad loss and gain separation in the WNBA playoff picture against the visiting Phoenix Mercury.
The Mystics (16-11) and Mercury (14-13) meet for the second time in two weeks and final time this season Friday.
Washington will need a much better performance than its 95-62 loss against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks led 51-36 at halftime and shot 61.5 percent from the field en route to ending the Mystics' two-game winning streak.
"Throw it away and get ready for Phoenix," Washington coach Mike Thibault said. "It's not one of those ones where you have a choice, really. We will line up at 7 o'clock on Friday night against Phoenix and they are really good."
Washington's 85-80 home victory on Aug. 6 means Friday's winner takes the season series 2-1.
The Mystics are two games ahead of the Mercury, who are one game behind the fifth-place New York Liberty. The top four teams receive a bye into the second round of the league playoffs.
The Mystics remain without All-Star Elena Delle Donne (thumb surgery). Phoenix played the previous meeting without Brittney Griner, but the WNBA's top scorer returned for Saturday's 98-89 home loss to the Seattle Storm. Griner, who had 19 points, missed the previous eight games with knee and ankle injuries.
"They have Griner back and it will be war," Thibault said. "We can't just sit there and wait for Elena to get back, we have to find a way to do something positive. We have done that, won five of our last six games but fact of the matter is that we are playing some teams that are just as desperate as us to get their playoff seeding right. Phoenix is chasing us and it's the tiebreaker. There is a lot at stake."
Diana Taurasi led the Mercury with 20 points. Phoenix has lost three of four.
"It was disappointing," Taurasi said to the Arizona Republic. "Brittney looked great for not playing for four weeks. That's tough to do and come in and play as effective as she did. I think she looked great out there and obviously she makes a huge difference. That was probably the only positive we'll take out of today's game."
Loss aside, the return of the one of the league's best players comes at just the right time.
"I felt fine," Griner said of her injuries. "I didn't have an issue with the ankle or the knee. The limited minutes (stunk) the most. You get going, you start feeling good and no matter if you're tired or not, you kind of forget about being fatigued. But I got going then I had to come out."
Kristi Toliver scored 20 points and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt had 17 for Washington in the previous meeting with Phoenix.
