Sky-Mystics Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jun 11 2011 1:39AM

The Chicago Sky finished last in the Eastern Conference in 2010, eight games behind the first-place Washington Mystics.

With Sylvia Fowles surging and Washington's Alana Beard nursing a sprained left foot, Chicago appears to have a good chance at an early-season upset.

The Sky visit the short-handed Mystics on Saturday night in a matchup of teams coming off their first victories.

Fowles scored 11 of her 23 points in the fourth quarter Friday to help Chicago (1-1) to a 78-75 victory over Connecticut. She added 13 rebounds, and her layup with 28 seconds remaining broke a tie and gave the Sky a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

First-round draft pick Courtney Vandersloot scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers for Chicago, which never trailed. Fowles credited the team's defensive effort.

"Our defensive standpoint did it for us tonight,'' she said. "We stayed in tune with our game plan and listened to Coach. But, at the same time we just pulled it all together on the floor.''

They'll likely need another complete effort Saturday against the Mystics.

Despite playing without Beard and rookie center Ta'Shia Phillips due to an ankle injury, Washington (1-1) beat Atlanta 98-90 in overtime Thursday.

Crystal Langhorne had 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Nicky Anosike added a career-high 29 points and 13 boards. Matee Ajavon finished with 24 points, giving the trio 83 of the team's 98.

Playing without Beard is nothing new for the Mystics, who went 22-12 and finished tied atop the East in 2010, when Beard missed the entire season because of a torn tendon in her ankle. However, Washington still seems to have a chip on its shoulder.

"I think we knew going into the game that nobody believed in us,'' Anosike said. "Throughout the league, people don't expect us to have a successful season. Nobody except ourselves thought we could win (Thursday). That really fueled us, especially in the fourth quarter. It was either play now or go home with another loss.''

Kerri Gardin, whom the Mystics signed earlier Thursday to take Beard's spot on the roster, had a game-high six steals.

Despite last year's overall poor campaign, Chicago split four meetings with Washington and held the Mystics to their lowest point total of the season in the most recent matchup, a 61-59 Sky victory July 18.

Fowles, who hit the go-ahead layup in that contest, averaged 17.3 points per game versus Washington in last season's series.

She'll likely go head-to-head with Langhorne, who scored 25 points and had 13 rebounds June 25 against Chicago. However, Langhorne averaged only 9.0 points in the other three matchups.

Sky down Mystics 84-77

Posted Jun 11 2011 9:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) Sylvia Fowles scored 23 points and Cathrine Kraayeveld added 19 points with a career-high six 3-pointers as the Chicago Sky held on for a 84-77 win over the Washington Mystics on Saturday night.

Epiphanny Prince scored 20 points for the Sky (2-1), who shot 60 percent from the field. Chicago never trailed, led 51-33 at halftime and 66-57 after three quarters.

In their home opener, the Mystics (1-2) pulled within 75-72 on a Marissa Coleman jumper with 3:18 remaining, but would get no closer.

Sky rookie Courtney Vandersloot followed with a 3-pointer and Chicago made 6-of-8 free throws over the final 1:52.

Matee Ajavon led the Mystics with 24 points. Coleman scored all 13 of her points in the second half.

• Sky: --
• Mystics: --

• Sky: --
• Mystics: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #8 Daryl Humphrey, #45 Tom Mauer, #11 Lauren Bass
• Attendance: 11943
• Duration: 1:52