In a top-tier contest against the Atlanta Dream, the Washington Mystics were cut short of their offensive anchor due to injury woes. Head coach Sydney Johnson deployed point guard Georgia Amoore for just 13 minutes in an 81-76 tightrope win on Thursday. When asked about his decision, Johnson was specific in his explanation.

“We’re all in on her when she’s healthy,” Johnson said, according to beat reporter Miles Jordan. “We really believe that what she can do, or three-point volume, or awareness of the game, she’s always connected with the coaching staff. If she’s healthy, we want to get her out there. Alicia (Florez) backed her up this evening and had phenomenal minutes.”

“Just wanted to kind of ride that, but between the two of them, and Lucy (Olsen) will be involved as well. But thought to go with Alicia down the stretch. When Georgia is healthy, she can give us minutes, whether it’s starting or whether it’s off the bench,” he added.

Georgia Amoore’s fitness was a subject of concern even before the game had tipped off. The Mystics’ guard was listed as questionable in the initial injury report, citing knee soreness, as per Bullets Forever. Her injury concerns stem from the Portland Fire game, in which the Mystics clinched a win in quadruple overtime.

Amoore played just 12 minutes in that game and was ruled out at halftime, as per Bullets Forever, due to a non-contact injury in the second quarter. “Georgia knee, we’ll just evaluate that,” Johnson had said after the game.

But after the Atlanta game, it’s quite clear that Amoore isn’t completely game-fit as the franchise was cautious with her minutes. Notably, the injury woes have been consistent throughout Amoore’s WNBA career, as she also missed her entire rookie season after tearing her right ACL in training camp.

In this season, Amoore has looked better, though. She has started all the games she has played. Yet her minutes are being managed, as she’s averaging just 23 per game, which is fairly low for a starter, especially for someone who is leading the team in assists (3.8 per game, per ESPN). Nevertheless, her latest knee injury isn’t debilitating.

Because, in her limited 13 minutes against Atlanta, Amoore looked solid. She recorded 11 points while scoring three of four from the field and four of four from the free-throw line. During her limited game time, Alicia Florez stepped up in the backcourt, logging in 27 minutes and leading the team with 7 assists and 13 points.

The Mystics also missed their leading scorer, Sonia Citron, due to a knee issue. Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen compensated for her absence in the scoring columns. They combined for 35 points as Johnson’s team clinched a stellar win over the Dream.

Washington outplayed the Dream with a hot shooting night. They scored 55% from the field and 56% from downtown to cut through the opposition’s defenses. The performance showed that the Washington Mystics aren’t a one-trick pony. But even in this injury-riddled squad, Sydney Johnson isn’t compromising on the quality of play. He made sure to pinpoint it after the game.

Sydney Johnson Details His Expectations for Georgia Amoore

For a player coming back from an injury, 11 points in 13 minutes would be a great performance. But even in that display, Sydney Johnson found something missing: Georgia Amoore‘s three-point shooting.

“She’s probably not making as many threes as she wants,” Johnson said in the post-game presser. “She banked one off the glass today. But we’re continuing to tell her to keep shooting. Because it’s something that’s easy for her. She’s good at it.”

Against the Atlanta Dream, Amoore went 1 of 1 from beyond the arc. Johnson feels that she should have scored more. And that makes sense when you understand Amoore’s pedigree as a three-point shooter during her collegiate days. Across her collegiate stint, Amoore shot north of 35% from downtown, as per Sports Reference.

However, that same tenacity hasn’t been reflected in her WNBA numbers. So far in the season, Amoore is scoring 27% from the three-point line, as per ESPN. Furthermore, she has attempted just 74 three-pointers so far this campaign. This is a part of the game where Amoore can improve as the season moves forward.

Nevertheless, Amoore’s priority will be to return to full fitness as soon as possible, because the Washington Mystics are scheduled to host some crucial games next up against the Golden State Valkyries and the Seattle Storm. Currently sitting at the last playoff spot, a win against those teams — experiencing starkly different forms — will be crucial to building momentum for Johnson’s team.