Mystics-Storm Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jul 11 2011 2:19PM

Injuries have plagued the Washington Mystics and Seattle Storm, but the Mystics could be getting healthier.

Washington hopes to have Crystal Langhorne and Alana Beard back as it tries to avoid a fourth straight loss in a matchup with the Storm on Tuesday night.

After finishing first in the Eastern Conference last year, a slew of key injuries have impaired a Mystics team that finds itself in last place.

Washington (2-8) has been without Monique Currie (left knee) and Beard (left foot sprain) since the start of the season, while Langhorne (sore back) has missed the last three games. Although Currie will not play this year, Beard and Langhorne are expected to return soon.

Beard has finished sitting out the required 10 games per WNBA roster hardship exemption rules, while Langhorne, who averages a team-best 18.1 points, is listed as day-to-day.

Langhorne's back problems originally started to flare up earlier this month. The first game she sat out in her four-year WNBA career was a 73-63 home loss to the Storm on July 3, the first defeat of Washington's current slide.

Without three of their top players, the Mystics had little success against a defensive-minded Seattle team, even if the Storm were playing without reigning MVP Lauren Jackson (hip). Seattle, first in the league in scoring defense at 70.8 points, limited Washington to 26 first-half points and 38.6 percent shooting for the game.

Victoria Dunlap had a season-high 19 points - 13.8 better than her average - for the short-handed Mystics, who got one point from their bench.

Swin Cash scored 19 points and Sue Bird added 17 as Seattle won in Washington for the first time since 2006. The Storm, 4-1 at home this year, have won five straight over the Mystics in Seattle since a 78-71 loss July 13, 2005.

The Storm (6-4) are looking to build on their best offensive performance of the season after defeating Los Angeles 99-80 on Saturday. Seattle shot 54.7 percent and 9 of 17 from 3-point range, scoring a season high after entering the game averaging a league-low 69.0 points.

"Hopefully, we can stay on this path," coach Brian Agler said.

Four Storm players finished with season highs in points, led by Cash with 26. The three-time All-Star made it a point to drive the lane.

"You've got to get to the rim and be aggressive," said Cash, averaging a team-best 16.4 points. "And whenever I'm doing that I think it's better for the team.''

Cash and Bird, averaging 18.3 points in her last three games, will look to continue carrying the offense with Jackson recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum. The Storm are 3-2 without Jackson.

Washington is coming off a sloppy performance in a 68-57 loss to Indiana on Saturday, its seventh defeat in eight games.

The Mystics scored seven fourth-quarter points while shooting 3 of 10 and turning the ball over nine times. They went scoreless for the final 4:53 as the Fever closed the game on a 9-0 run.

"We played well for three quarters,'' coach Trudi Lacey said. "It was about execution, and we had too many turnovers."

Bird scores 22, leads Storm past Mystics 79-71

Posted Jul 12 2011 8:21PM

SEATTLE (AP) Sue Bird still looks to pass before putting up a shot, but that doesn't mean she can't help the Seattle Storm's offense that is missing All-Star center Lauren Jackson.

Bird scored 22 points and Swin Cash added 20 in the Storm's 79-71 victory over the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.

Seattle (7-4) has won three of four, a stretch that started with a 73-63 victory at Washington on July 3. The Mystics (2-9) have dropped four in a row.

Camille Little had 12 points for Seattle.

Bird, who topped the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season, sealed the win by scoring on a fastbreak lay-in with 42.3 seconds remaining to give the Storm a 78-71 lead. She added a free throw with 16.5 seconds to go.

``We're just taking what they're giving us,'' said Bird, who had 15 points by halftime and made eight of 14 shots overall - including 2 for 4 from 3-point range. ``(It) was a great team win, and everybody at some point stepped up and made a big play.

``Whoever gets the points gets the points.''

Storm coach Brian Agler is counting on Bird to get more of those points until Jackson, the three-time WNBA MVP, is able to return. Jackson is out 8 to 12 weeks following hip surgery in late June.

Bird entered this season with a career average of 12.4 points. That has gone up this season as she averaging 16 points per game. Bird scored 17 points against Washington last week.

``When Lauren is out, other people really have to step up and contribute in the scoring factor,'' Agler said. ``Sue has consistently done that over the years, and she's doing it now when we need it.

``She's a player who contributes in a lot of different ways, and she makes her teammates better around her, and that's sort of her strength. But she has the ability to score, too, and that's why she's world-class. She can do both.''

Washington was led by Marissa Coleman's 16 points. Matee Ajavon had 13, and Mystics leading scorer Crystal Langhorne added 10 in her return to the lineup after she missed three games because of back pain. Langhorne, who averages 18.1 points, hadn't played since June 26.

Washington got within 76-71, but was scoreless for the final 2:08 of the game.

``We had our opportunities to take the lead, and we settled on some jump shots and missed some shots (0 for 5) down the stretch,'' Mystics coach Trudi Lacey said. ``That made the difference.''

Seattle built leads of 12 points five times, the last at 59-47 late in the third quarter.

The Mystics used long-range shooting to stay in the game, making 10 of 17 attempts from behind the 3-point arc. Washington cut its deficit to two at 61-59 on Nicky Anosike's two free throws with 9:37 left.

``They got stops,'' Ajavon said. ``It was maybe three possessions where we could have taken the lead, and we were unable to execute. Our effort, it was aggressive, but it didn't work.''

The Mystics' only lead was 3-0 when Ajavon sank hit a 3-pointer. The Storm answered with a 9-0 run to go in front for good.

• Mystics: --
• Storm: --

• Mystics: --
• Storm: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Key Arena, Seattle, WA
• Officials: #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #43 Brenda Pantoja, #24 Tony Dawkins
• Attendance: 13384
• Duration: 1:51