Dream-Mystics Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Sep 13 2012 1:45PM

The Atlanta Dream are hitting their stride at the right time.

The league-worst Washington Mystics keep stumbling to the finish.

Atlanta goes for its first season sweep in this Eastern Conference matchup Friday night when the host Mystics try to avoid a 10th straight defeat.

After closing last season with a 17-5 stretch en route to a second consecutive WNBA finals appearance, the Dream (17-14) are once again coming on strong in the final weeks. Atlanta has won five of six heading into a regular season-ending three-game trip.

"We're finally meshing," guard Armintie Price said Tuesday after a 77-61 victory over Seattle. "It's late in the season to do it. But the best time to do it."

The Dream, a season-best three games above .500, can match the franchise record for wins set in 2011 if they win out, but a title is the goal after they were swept in the finals each of the last two postseasons.

While Atlanta will likely need big production from Angel McCoughtry, the league's leading scorer with 21.7 points per game, the club has played well lately with McCoughtry coming off the bench following a two-game absence for personal reasons and a two-game ban for violating an unspecified team rule.

"(Coming off the bench is) what I did in the Olympics," said McCoughtry, a gold medal winner with the U.S. team. "It doesn't matter."

What does matter is that the Dream are sharing the ball and getting everyone involved. Of their 197 field goals in the last six games, 117 have come off assists. Atlanta recorded 20 assists on 29 field goals Tuesday.

"The team shared the basketball again," said coach Fred Williams, who is 5-2 since taking over for the fired Marynell Meadors. "It's starting to come for us. We want to play that kind of basketball and play well."

The Dream have played that way in three matchups with the Mystics (5-25) in 2012, handing out 68 assists on 100 field goals and winning by an average of 20.0 points.

Lindsey Harding is averaging team highs with 15.7 points and 6.3 assists in those contests after scoring 15 points with nine assists in Atlanta's 93-68 home win Sunday.

Atlanta is shooting 50.3 percent from the field against Washington this season, which is not surprising given the Mystics' field goal defense (46.6 percent) is the second-worst in the league.

If Washington is going to salvage a game against the Dream this season, it will likely have to put together a more complete effort than in Wednesday's 75-62 loss at New York. The Mystics were outscored 19-7 in the final quarter and are now averaging 67.7 points since their last victory.

"We got cold and the Liberty were able to take advantage of that," said forward Monique Currie, who finished with a season-high 24 points.

Washington will move within one game of the franchise's longest skid if it can't snap a four-game losing streak to Atlanta.

Dream rally for 82-74 win over Mystics

Posted Sep 14 2012 10:36PM

WASHINGTON (AP) The Atlanta Dream are going to the playoffs and the Washington Mystics are just finishing up another disappointing season.

It didn't look that way early Friday night as the Mystics built an 11-point third quarter lead. Washington's upset hopes soon faded, however.

Angel McCoughtry scored 26 points and Lindsey Harding added 19 to help the Dream rally and beat the Mystics 82-74.

Atlanta (18-14), third in the Eastern Conference with two games to play, has won six-of-seven.

``We came out a little flat. I felt our energy level wasn't that high in the first half, and in the second half we picked it up with some more intensity on defense and made a few more shots,'' Atlanta coach Fred Williams said. ``Washington came after us.''

Atlanta trailed by 10 points at halftime after turning the ball over 10 times and surrendering 21 second chance points to the Mystics.

``They were out-rebounding us and getting a lot of second chance points which got them a good lead,'' McCoughtry said. ``We just had to adjust and get on the boards in the second half.''

Monique Currie led Washington (5-26) with 20 points and Matee Ajavon added 15.

``We played well for probably about three and a half quarters,'' Currie said. ``Atlanta made some tough shots in the fourth quarter. Angel took over a little bit, but they hit some big shots and we didn't.''

Washington's leading scorer, Crystal Langhorne, left in the second quarter with a left foot strain and did not return.

Trailing by four early in the fourth quarter, Atlanta went on an 8-0 run and eventually led by five. The Mystics tied it at 65 on a 3-pointer by Currie.

Atlanta went ahead for good on McCoughtry's two free throws with 3:28 left. After a Washington miss, McCoughtry sandwiched a jumper and a 3-pointer around a free throw by Currie to make it 72-66 with 2:18 to play and Washington got no closer than within four points and the rest of the way.

``We did some isolation plays for her to create some things and she's a good one-on-one player and she just made some clutch baskets for us,'' Williams said of McCoughtry.

The WNBA's leading scorer, McCoughtry hit 10-of-18 field goal attempts.

The Mystics have lost 10 straight and are 1-12 since the Olympic break.

``It's frustrating, but all we can do is continue to work and continue to compete,'' Currie said. ``We only have three or four more games but we'll play it out till the end.''

Atlanta swept the season series from Washington 4-0.

Trailing 50-39 early in the third quarter, Atlanta used an 8-0 run that started and ended with Harding jumpers to get within three.

Sancho Lyttle's jumper tied the score at 54. Atlanta trailed by two after three quarters.

The Dream turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter and Ashley Robinson's layup off her rebound of a Jasmine Thomas miss gave the Mystics an early 16-5 lead.

Atlanta briefly took the lead, 24-22, midway through the second quarter, but Washington went on a 14-2 run keyed by Currie (six points) to build a 10-point lead.

The Mystics outrebounded the Dream 25-14 in the half.

``They really pounded us on the boards, got some second effort shots on us,'' Williams said.

• Dream: --
• Mystics: --

• Dream: --
• Mystics: Currie, Currie

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #13 Cameron Inouye, #31 Amy Bonner, #53 Jeff Smith
• Attendance: 7368
• Duration: 2:05