Mystics 59, Fever 61

NOTEWORTHY:

  • The Washington Mystics dropped their fourth consecutive loss, bringing their record to 3-14 overall and 1-7 at home. The Mystics are 0-5 at home against Eastern Conference opponents.
  • The Indiana Fever held on to the lead until the Mystics tied for the first time 44-44 with 3:36 left in the third quarter. The Mystics saw their first lead, 56-55, after a layup from guard Matee Ajavon with 6:30 remaining in the fourth. The Mystics would lead by as much as two in a game that featured four lead changes and four ties.
  • The game was tied 59-59 at the 1:39 mark in the fourth quarter until a running bank jump shot from Fever guard Shannon Bobbitt who sealed the victory for the Fever at the 00.4 mark.
  • The Mystics were led by Ajavon who finished with 19 points and four assists. The Mystics guard is only six points away from scoring her 1,000th career point.
  • Mystics forward Crystal Langhorne added 17 points and shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the field in the second half alone. Langhorne added seven rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes of play.
  • Mystics forward DeMya Walker collected a season high 10 rebounds in the Mystics loss. The Mystics outrebounded the Fever 35-29.
  • The Fever were led by forward Tamika Catchings who scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked two shots in 34 minutes of play.
  • Four Fever players scored in double figures. (Catchings-16; Tammy Sutton-Brown-12; Katie Douglas-10; Jessica Davenport-10).

    WASHINGTON MYSTICS HEAD COACH TRUDI LACEY:

    Overall thoughts on the game:
    “To me we won that game. We deserved to win that game; the last play didn’t go our way. I’ve said this all season and I told the girls they play with so much heart and so much fight and so much determination and the last two games we were in. I feel we won this game, I feel like we won this game even though it didn’t show up on the scoreboard, but I feel like we won this game. We will just continue to get better playing for longer stretches. Our biggest saying is to continue growing as a team and to continue to improve.”

    Thoughts on Kerri Gardin and DeMya Walker:
    “Defensively I have played them in the third quarter because we needed to get some stops which we were able to do and get back and take the lead. We had a foul to give and we forgot that we had a foul to give at the last play, but again it is all a learning process for us. We were just so so close and we are thinking any day now.”

    WASHINGTON MYSTICS GUARD MATEE AJAVON:

    On second half momentum:
    “I think the second half of most games is where we kind of slack, but tonight we made a really conscious effort to keep up the intensity and play tough.”

    WASHINGTON MYSTICS FORWARD DEMYA WALKER:

    Thoughts on the game:
    “It’s one of those things that if there was one more play, that’s what’s going through my head right now. Just one more play, one more stop, but at the end of the day every possession counts. We understand that, we know that, and now it’s just putting it in action.”

    On the fourth quarter energy:
    “I think that everyone really tried to bring it [energy]. It was something you could see. But when you don’t get that win at the end it kind of deflates everything. One second you’re in the game and another it’s over, just like that.”

    Mystics at a glance:
    Points: Matee Ajavon - 19
    Rebounds: DeMya Walker -10
    Assists: Matee Ajavon - 4
    Steals: Marissa Coleman, Ajavon, Kerri Gardin - 2

    INDIANA FEVER HEAD COACH LIN DUNN:

    Overall thoughts on game:
    “We’re thrilled to bits to get out of here with a victory, especially on a back-to-back. We had some turnovers, I thought that hurt us, but that was their defensive pressure. [The Mystics] are just that good. I know they’re heart-broken, as they should be. Tonight, we made the bucket when we needed it.”

    On how the team was able to get a win:
    “The very first thing is our bench. I think we get great help from the bench. I feel like we’re getting quality help from our bench and I think that’s been a real factor for us all along. I thought we did a pretty good job getting nine people with double minutes.”

    FEVER GUARD SHANNON BOBBITT:

    On her last second shot:
    “I just wanted to come out and be aggressive. When they switched it, I figured I could take the last shot.”

    On the depth of the roster:
    “That was a good thing to have all the players back. We just wanted to bring a lot of energy and we knew the bench players would be needed. Every night is tough whether you’re having a back-to-back or not. You just have to buckle down and come out as hard as you can and hopefully get the victory.”

    FEVER FORWARD TAMIKA CATCHINGS:

    On the momentum shift in the second half:
    “It was two different total games. In the first half, we were pretty much getting every shot that we wanted and doing a great job on defense. Second half, it seems like they just attacked the boards. That’s what they do well and something we knew coming into Washington. They are a rebounding team- offensively and defensively- it’s what they do. We knew they weren’t going to lay over and die. Ajavon put the team on her shoulders.”

    Fever at a glance:
    Points: Tamika Catchings - 16
    Rebounds: Catchings - 9
    Assists: Catchings - 5
    Steals: Erin Phillips - 4

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