WNBA 2010: With an eye toward the playoffs, Mystics defeat Sun

Crystal Langhorne (right) scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds for the Mystics.
(photo by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine)

Washington, Aug. 10, 2010 – The Washington Mystics (17-12) subdued the Connecticut Sun (14-15), 84-74, in a battle for the last playoff spot in the WNBA Eastern Conference. With just five more games to play in the regular season, the Mystics can make the playoff with three more wins or any combinations of three losses by the Sun.

Having just lost to the Sun in Connecticut just two days prior, the Mystics were looking forward to play them again but this time at home in the Verizon Center where they have a 9-4 winning record.

Once the first whistle sounded, the Mystics played an efficient and balanced attack in first half, matching its opponent basket by basket and never relinquishing the lead. The score was 37-34 after two quarters.

As to remind themselves what not to do when they scored just 13 points in the third quarter two days ago, the Mystics came out with a relentless attack while scoring 33 points to the Sun’s 16. By the end of the quarter, the lead grew to 20 points and the game was all but won.

After Connecticut’s Aug. 8 win over Washington, Sun guard Kara Lawson’s comment on the Mystics’ post players proved to be prophetic. “With [Crystal] Langhorne we have the height advantage, our bigs can see and make decision over her,” Lawson said. “With [Nakia] Sanford and [Chasity] Melvin, I feel like we are a little quicker.” But despite the Sun’s height advantage over Langhorne, the Mystics’ forward-center was able to score almost at will by forcing herself to the paint against their bigs while scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds. The Mystics’ bigs outscored the Sun’s by 43 to 39, and the team out-rebounded the Sun by 33 to 29.

Throughout the 2010 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season, Meniscus will be covering a select number of the Washington Mystics’ home games at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. For tickets, go to http://www.wnba.com/mystics/tickets/ticketsindex.html.

all photos by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine