Emma Meesseman scores 30 as Washington heads to Las Vegas needing one win to return to the finals.
The Mystics star is the WNBA MVP for the second time in her career after she embraced meditation as another way to improve her game.
An underwhelming first half gave way to a second-half surge, and Washington held on to win Game 1 of the semifinals against Las Vegas.
Every title-winning team this decade aside from the 2010 Seattle Storm and the 2012 Indiana Fever has featured at least two players who were drafted No. 1 overall by the team with which they won the championship.
Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle, Mallory Pugh, Allie Long and Washington Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan gathered for a panel discussion the night before the Washington Spirit and Reign FC face off at Audi Field on Saturday.
The guard and veteran leader is hopeful to return from a knee injury for the playoffs, which start for the Mystics on Tuesday, but said she has learned to “accept things as they are."
Delle Donne was named the WNBA player in the year by the Associated Press, and Mike Thibault was honored as the AP's coach of the year.
What you should know before Wednesday's first-round games.
Washington finishes with a franchise-best 26-8 record after playing its regulars against Chicago despite already clinching the top seed in the upcoming WNBA playoffs.
The three-time French Open champion said she spoke with the French federation president yesterday: "Everything's fine, guys."