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Alysha Clark feels like she’s taken another step forward in comeback journey

By Tyler Byrum

Alysha Clark feels like she's taken another step forward in comeback originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Wednesday night was a pivotal one for the Washington Mystics for many reasons. A win over the defending champion Chicago Sky and the first injury scare of the season for Elena Delle Donne are of course going to take all the headlines. But underlying both of those important storylines is the resurgence of Alysha Clark and her best offensive outing since the 2019 season. 

Clark emerged from the Entertainment and Sports Arena as the leading scorer and one of the integral pieces of a defensive unit that held the Sky to 57 points in the first three quarters. It was just her sixth game back after missing a whole season due to a Lisfranc injury to her right foot.

And while the focus and worry is on the potential injury of the Mystics’ primary star, there’s a juxtaposition of the positivity for Clark as she still progresses forward.

“It’s a little sore, but like it’s the new norm so, but it feels good,” Clark said postgame. “I felt good today. I finally felt like I took another step towards feeling normal, new normal, whatever that looks like. But yeah, I felt good. I felt like I was moving well. I felt confident being out there. So it was good.”

The 34-year-old defensive stalwart showed her offensive ability and took over for a team that needed another playmaker once Delle Donne left the game early in the second quarter.

Washington was sputtering offensively which had allowed the Sky right back into the contest. Clark then rattled off 10 points in a six-possession span heading into halftime. Her spark turned a three-point deficit into a five-point advantage in less than three minutes. That 10-point second quarter guided her to a season-high 19 points on the evening and marked just the second time she’s reached double figures this year.

It was the highest volume of attempts she’s taken this season, her most efficient outing (7-for-9 shooting) and earned her a game-high +16.

“I feel like me personally, as a player, I’m always looking to be in attack mode,” Clark said in reference to her second-quarter spurt. “And I think when you’re in that mind frame, it helps take away thinking about everything else too much. You’re just playing and let the game come to you. So I was just playing how I normally play.”

While the production was great, her offensive prowess isn’t what she’s known for or even why Washington made the pitch to bring her to D.C. before the 2021 season. The former All-Defensive First Team honoree makes her living on the defensive side of the ball.

This time she was tasked with shutting down the fourth-best assist-maker in WNBA history: Courtney Vandersloot.

She held the Chicago point guard to just six points, five assists and five turnovers. 

“It helps when you can play a little bit longer. She feels better every day. We’ll see how she is tomorrow. But you know it’s progress right there,” Mike Thibault said postgame.

“Vandersloot tries a lot to draw to defenders so she can get the assist pass. When you have somebody like Alysha guarding her, you don’t have to help as much so we can play her straight up,” he added. “Alysha bothered her enough to make that hard on her.”

Related: Kennedy Burke is a perfect fit

Clark didn’t have the pomp and circumstance of an injury return earlier this season. That was overshadowed by Delle Donne’s start to the season and the road upset of the Aces. She actually missed the first few games of the year to help get her up to speed after missing a whole calendar year.

It didn’t take long before she got put in “COVID jail,” as she called it, after testing positive. Easing her back in had only netted her four games to that point. Even back from Health and Safety Protocols, she needed a game off to readjust her conditioning. 

Now, the wing defender finally has some momentum finally under her belt. Her 27 minutes was by far the most of the year thus far. That’s a far cry from her celebration of just feeling like a basketball player again in early May.

Washington now can finally reap the on-court benefits of having a player of Clark’s caliber on the roster. 

“Her IQ, the way that she prepares, approaches for a game, it makes all of us better. Obviously she’s known for her defense first, but I think you’re starting to see her kind of get her offensive rhythm which is amazing,” Natasha Cloud said. “[Clark] is really like an anchor for us in a lot of different ways. Whether we’re on a run or the other teams making the run, she comes into our huddle, she gives us poise and what we need at that moment.”

What Wizards players look forward to doing in Japan

By Chase Hughes
What Wizards players look forward to doing in Japan originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonWASHINGTON -- As the Wizards head to Japan for two showcase preseason games against the defending-champion Warriors, they have a unique advantage when it comes to enjoying their time off the court with Rui Hachimura on the roster. He's from Japan, he's an NBA player and he knows what NBA players like to do. Need a restaurant recommendation or a place to go shopping; just ask Rui.Hachimura says that ideally the team would have more time to spend there, but he has a few ideas for his teammates. And the one experience he wants them to get more than anything else costs nothing at all."I just want them to walk around the city because there are a lot of people in Japan walking around. One thing when I was in Japan that I always remember, people are very short. That's one thing. If you are walking around, the views are different for tall people. That's one thing I want them to experience," Hachimura said.That may be a more novel experience for some than it will be for others. Hachimura, for instance, is 6-foot-8. He could walk around anywhere in the world and have no trouble seeing down the block. That is especially the case for Kristaps Porzingis, who at 7-foot-3 is one of the tallest players in NBA history.Monte Morris, though, can see what it's like. He's only 6-foot-2. Even Bradley Beal, at 6-foot-3, could get a fresh perspective.Beal, however, has been to Japan before. He is among a few members of the Wizards who are going for the second time. He remembers going to a samurai demonstration and also a sumo wrestling match. He wants to see sumo again, calling it possibly the most fun sporting event he's ever attended.Beal hopes to try some sushi on this trip, as last time he visited he was younger and not quite as adventurous."I'm a little bit more out of my shell now," he said.Food was a common subject when players and other members of the organization were asked about their hopes for the trip. Hachimura has a team dinner planned in the heart of Tokyo, so his teammates can experience authentic Japanese food in a lively environment representative of the culture at large."I'm a big fan of the cuisine, so I'm looking forward to that," Unseld Jr. said.Hachimura says there is one dish he wants everyone to try."My favorite food is called sukiyaki. It's like a hotpot. It's like a mix of soy sauce and all that kind of stuff. They put beef and vegetables [in it]. You actually eat it with raw eggs. I want them to try that. I'm having a dinner one day, so we're going to have that," he said.Shopping will also be a goal of many Wizards players. They will have plenty of responsibilities between practices, two games and scheduled events, so it may not be easy.Kyle Kuzma, though, plans to find a way."I'm gonna make time," he said.In addition to the off-court fun, the Wizards will have to keep their affairs in order on the court given it is an important time of the year. The team will do everything they can to make sure they don't get thrown off track in the leadup to their regular season opener on Oct. 19 in Indiana.Unseld Jr. says he will play the team's regulars quite a bit in the first two preseason games to develop some chemistry amid a new-look rotation. They also have some fans to put on a show for.Thanks in large part to Hachimura, the Wizards are a big deal in Japan and it's not just him. Beal, Kuzma and others now have larger followings in Japan than they otherwise would.The same goes for Unseld Jr., whose words Japanese fans hang on to for updates about Hachimura. Unseld Jr. may find some fans of his own on this trip."Well, that seems a little odd, but I appreciate it," he joked.Naturally, a lot of the focus is going to be on Hachimura as the face of Japanese basketball. He will likely have swaths of fans following him everywhere. He also hopes to spend plenty of time with his family, as he doesn't get to return home often.When it comes to the trip itself, he's a bit of an expert and the Wizards plan to lean on him for pointers. Like, how to deal with the 14-hour flight and the time change.His biggest piece of advice?"You've just gotta sleep," he said.
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