Mystics-Dream Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Aug 26 2010 1:33PM

The top-seeded Washington Mystics were caught off guard by the Atlanta Dream's lineup changes and upset in the opener of their best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Coach Julie Plank is confident Washington can regroup Friday night and stave off elimination in Game 2 in Atlanta, where the Mystics have won twice this month.

Washington closed the regular season on a six-game winning streak, but lost its seventh straight playoff game after falling 95-90 at home in Game 1 on Wednesday. After yielding an average of 70.7 points during their run, the Mystics allowed Atlanta to score 48 first-half points - the most by an opponent all year - and shoot 53.5 percent for the game.

"I was very disappointed with our defensive effort,'' Plank said. "You can't give up 95 points. I don't care if it's regular season, definitely not the playoffs. ... They pretty much got whatever they wanted.''

It was a new-look lineup that outplayed Plank's team.

Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors started Coco Miller and Armintie Price - neither of whom started a game in the regular season - to shake up a lineup that lost six of seven going into the postseason.

The strategy worked as Miller scored 21 and Price had a game-high eight assists. Angel McCoughtry led all scorers with 28 points.

"The starting lineup was not working,'' Meadors said. "These were defensive players that were in there. We had a lot of speed and quickness on the wings.''

Although Meadors' team is one win away from reaching the conference finals for the first time, playing in Atlanta hasn't given the Dream much of an edge lately.

Atlanta ended the regular season with a season-worst five-game losing streak at Philips Arena, including an 86-78 loss to Washington on Aug. 3, and a 90-81 defeat to the Mystics in Sunday's finale. Washington held the Dream to 36.4 percent shooting and 19.4 percent from beyond the arc in those games.

"We have played well against them and we have to do that Friday night," Plank told the Mystics' official website. "As disappointing as it was, we have always been a team that fought back. I'm not discouraged and our team's not discouraged.

"We are confident that we can go into Atlanta and beat this team. We've done it the last two times and we are looking forward to Friday night."

The Mystics' offense must improve to force a potential Game 3 Sunday in Washington.

Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman and Matee Ajavon combined for 50 points on 16 of 30 shooting Wednesday, but the rest of the team contributed 40 points on 29.3 percent shooting.

Dream use 26-0 run to overwhelm Mystics, 101-77

By CHARLES ODUM
Posted Aug 27 2010 10:10PM

ATLANTA (AP) Atlanta broke open a close game by scoring 26 consecutive points and the Dream beat the Washington Mystics 101-77 on Friday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Iziane Castro Marques and Angel McCoughtry each scored 21 points for Atlanta. McCoughtry had 17 points in the first half before sitting out most of the final two periods.

Sancho Lyttle had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Dream completed the surprising two-game sweep of the Mystics, the top seed in the conference, in the best-of-three series.

Atlanta will play either New York or Indiana in its first Eastern Conference finals. The Liberty lead that series 1-0.

Matee Ajavon led Washington with 20 points. Monique Currie had 12 points and Crystal Langhorne had 11.

Trailing 21-15, the Dream's Armintie Price had a layup with less than a second left in the first quarter, and Atlanta scored the first 24 points of the second quarter to take a 20-point lead.

Atlanta moved ahead 75-40 late in the third quarter.

The Mystics couldn't find a way to slow down the Dream's high-scoring offense. Atlanta, which shot 54 percent from the field to beat the Mystics 95-90 in Wednesday's opening game at Washington, shot 49 percent in this game.

Atlanta outrebounded Washington 45-27 and handed the Mystics their eighth straight playoff loss. Washington has been swept in three straight playoff appearances and has not won a postseason game since Sept. 25, 2004, against Connecticut. Indiana swept the Mystics in the opening round last year.

The Dream closed the regular season with losses in five of their last six games. Washington won six straight, but it couldn't maintain that momentum in the playoffs.

The Mystics led 13-3 in the opening minutes and 21-15 in the final minute of the first quarter. The Mystics then missed their first 13 shots of the second period.

McCoughtry had seven points and Castro Marques added six as Atlanta led 41-21 before Katie Smith scored Washington's first points of the second quarter with only 2:44 remaining in the half.

The Dream outscored the Mystics 33-7 in the decisive second period and led 50-28 at the break.

Coco Miller, who had 21 points for Atlanta in her first start of the season in the series opener, had nine points. Price also made her second straight start - and second start of the season - as Dream coach Marynell Meadors stayed with her four-guard lineup. Price had six points and six assists.

• Mystics: --
• Dream: --

• Mystics: --
• Dream: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Officials: #55 Eric Brewton, #31 Amy Bonner, #49 Kevin Sparrock
• Attendance: 7890
• Duration: 2:10