Following the Connecticut Sun's Game 4 win, Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud guaranteed her team would bounce back and win the championship on their home floor.

And the Mystics delivered, parlaying their back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances into the franchise's first championship by outlasting the Connecticut Sun 89-78 in Thursday night's Game 5 at Entertainment and Sports Arena in D.C.

There were more ties and lead changes in Game 5 than there had been in Games 1 through 4 combined. But the Mystics outscored Connecticut 27-14 in the fourth quarter to pull away once and for all.

After getting swept last year by the Seattle Storm, the Mystics entered this postseason as the top overall seed and favorites to win it all. However, 2019 league MVP Elena Delle Donne's uncertain health threatened to leave them empty-handed yet again.

Delle Donne was diagnosed with a herniated disk in her back on Oct. 2 following the Sun's 99-87 Game 2 win. The 30-year-old has played through the pain, which Cloud revealed after the game was more extensive than previously known, and was rewarded with her first title Thursday night:

Washington also had center Emma Meesseman this time around. The 26-year-old Belgian took 2018 off from the WNBA, and having her back made all the difference in the biggest game of 2019. Meesseman was named Finals MVP:

Washington ousted the Las Vegas Aces 3-1 in the conference semifinals to make the Finals, while the Sun swept the Los Angeles Sparks.

Notable Performances:

Mystics F Elena Delle Donne: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal

Mystics C Emma Meesseman: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals

Mystics G Kristi Toliver: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Mystics G Natasha Cloud: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Sun F Jonquel Jones: 25 points, 9 rebounds

Sun F Alyssa Thomas: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals

Sun G Courtney Williams: 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

Sun G Jasmine Thomas: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

Foul Trouble Hurts Sun

The Sun will enter the winter wondering how the result could have been different if their hottest player could have stayed on the floor.

Officiating was a point of contention for both sides throughout the contest, but Jonquel Jones' foul trouble stands out as the most impactful. 

In the first quarter, it was Alyssa Thomas who was forced to the bench with two early fouls. She spent just over three minutes out of the game, marking the most time she had spent out of the game all series.

Thomas committed only one more foul the rest of the way and set a new WNBA record for most assists in a WNBA Finals.

But the Sun couldn't overcome Jones' foul trouble:

When Jones was forced to the bench with 6:22 left in the third quarter with her fourth personal foul, the Mystics began to gain traction underneath the bucket and set the foundation for what eventually led to them pulling away in the fourth.

Elena Delle Donne, Emma Meesseman Deciding Factors

Washington looked to be in trouble early in the third quarter with Connecticut springing out to a nine-point lead. The game shifted back in the Mystics' favor once the offense began running consistently through Delle Donne and Meesseman in the paint. 

Delle Donne looked closer to 100 percent in Game 5 than she had in Games 3 or 4. As a result, combined with Meesseman's presence off the bench, Washington was able to better exploit Connecticut's foul trouble.

Meesseman especially feasted when Jones was forced to the bench after collecting her fourth personal foul. Brionna Jones came in for her, and the mismatch was evident. 

But even when Jonquel Jones returned, Delle Donne and Meesseman remained hot. 

The Mystics further needed Delle Donne and Meesseman to propel the offense because the three ball, for the most part, was not dropping. Throughout the regular season, Washington (9.3) and Connecticut (7.5) were first and second, respectively, in three-pointers made per game. 

That trend continued for the Mystics in the postseason with 9.6 three-pointers per game, except for Game 5 when they went 4-of-19. 

Not to mention, outside of Meesseman, the Mystics' bench contributed just two points (Aerial Powers).

There was concern following Delle Donne's back injury that she would again be kept away from her first championship due to injury, as a knee injury hampered her during last year's playoff run. The league's best player did everything in her power to not let that happen, and Meesseman gave her enough help to secure the title.