Mystics-Fever Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jul 08 2011 4:48PM

Thanks to a deep bench, the Indiana Fever have done a good job of dealing with injuries.

The same cannot be said for the Washington Mystics.

The Eastern Conference-leading Fever look to win their sixth in a row Saturday night when they host a banged-up Mystics team hoping to avoid its seventh loss in eight games.

Playing its first game without starting point guard Briann January, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a 91-85 win over Phoenix on June 28, Indiana (8-3) defeated Seattle 78-61 on Tuesday.

Erin Phillips started in place of January - her first WNBA start since 2009 - and had seven points, six assists and three steals. Shannon Bobbitt assumed Phillips' role as the primary backup and had a season-best eight points, shooting 3 of 4 from the floor.

"Erin and Bobbitt both did a great job for us, and we're going to continue to ride that wave and get ready for Washington," forward Tamika Catchings told the Fever's official website. "The biggest thing we need from them is just to be steady."

Indiana has been receiving a lot of steady play from outside its starting five.

The Fever's bench outscored the Storm's 26-7, the eighth time in nine games Indiana's reserves reached the 24-point mark.

"We have the best depth in the league," starting forward Tangela Smith said. "We can go from one through 11 and play all of our players. And some players coming off the bench could easily start on other teams."

The Indiana reserves had one of their best performances of the season in an 89-80 win at Washington on June 21, scoring 52 points.

Indiana was without leading scorer Katie Douglas because of a lower back contusion in that contest, and guard Shavonte Zellous stepped up with a season-high 21 points off the bench. Reserve center Jessica Davenport added 18 against the Mystics, whose bench is averaging 12.3 points on the season.

Davenport has cracked the starting lineup for the Fever's four games since. She is averaging 15.8 points on 63.9 percent shooting in the last six contests after averaging 8.2 points through her first five.

Last month's victory over the Mystics initiated Indiana's current five-game winning streak. The Fever had two runs of that length last season, but haven't won six in a row since a franchise-record 11-game streak June 9-July 17, 2009.

Washington (2-7) was the East's top seed in last season's playoffs, but has struggled early this year without injured stars Alana Beard (left foot sprain) and Monique Currie (left knee). Currie is out for the season and Beard is required to sit out one more game because of WNBA rules.

Crystal Langhorne, averaging a team-best 18.1 points, has sat out the Mystics' last two games due to back pain. She had 23 points in the first meeting with Indiana, but her status for the rematch is uncertain.

Washington's offense has looked flat without Langhorne. After shooting 31.9 percent in a 73-63 loss to Seattle on Sunday, the Mystics shot 38.9 percent and missed 12 of 13 3-point attempts in Tuesday's 78-65 defeat to Chicago.

Marissa Coleman had 14 points against the Sky, while Matee Ajavon and Jasmine Thomas added 11 apiece.

Phillips, Catchings lead Fever past Mystics

By CLIFF BRUNT
Posted Jul 09 2011 9:16PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Erin Phillips scored 14 points, and Tamika Catchings did a little of everything else as the Indiana Fever defeated the Washington Mystics 68-57 on Saturday night for their sixth straight win.

Catchings had 10 points, seven rebounds, six steals, four assists and three blocks for the Fever (9-3), who have the best record in the league.

Catchings had five steals in the fourth quarter, and the Fever held Washington to seven points in the final period. The Mystics went scoreless for the final 4:53 as Indiana closed the game on a 9-0 run.

Nicky Anosike scored 12 points and Marissa Coleman added 11 for the Mystics (2-8). Washington's Crystal Langhorne, the league's No. 5 scorer with 18.1 points per game, sat out because of back pain.

Katie Douglas scored 12 points, and Shavonte Zellous and Jessica Davenport each added 11 for Indiana, which has won both games since point guard Briann January's season-ending ACL tear.

Washington shot 10 for 19 in the first quarter, but 12 for 38 the rest of the game.

Indiana won 89-80 at Washington on June 21 to start its win streak.

Zellous' acrobatic layup less than a minute into the fourth quarter gave Indiana its first lead of the game, 51-50, after the Fever had trailed by 11 points.

Indiana took control for good in a flurry late in the fourth. First, Catchings stole the ball and launched a long pass to Zellous, who tracked the ball down and scored.

On Washington's next possession, Catchings picked up her fourth steal, and Zellous converted again to give Indiana a 65-57 lead with 2:54 remaining.

Washington led 33-25 at halftime after holding the Fever to 32 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes.

Davenport's second basket of the third quarter trimmed the deficit to 36-35 and forced the Mystics to call timeout. Washington pushed its lead back to seven, with help from a 3-pointer by Coleman, but the Fever rallied again. A layup by Tammy Sutton-Brown as time expired in the third quarter cut Washington's lead to 50-49.

• Mystics: --
• Fever: --

• Mystics: --
• Fever: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #9 Denise Brooks, #25 Marcus Clayton, #35 Billy Smith
• Attendance: 7056
• Duration: 1:46