Mystics Cap Home Stand With Win Over Sacramento
The Mystics capped a six-game home stand with an 87-73 win over cellar-dwellers Sacramento on Sunday, led by Crystal Langhorne's 19 points and hot three-point shooting by Marissa Coleman and Monique Currie. The Monarchs dropped to 4-15, the worst record in the league, while the Mystics improved to 9-7.
A litany of impressive stats lay waiting for digestion after the game: four starters finished in double figures (Currie, Langhorne, Chasity Melvin, and Lindsey Harding), the team had only 13 turnovers overall, and Washington held the best offensive rebounding team in the league to only 8 offensive rebounds. Head coach Julie Plank was also pleased with the defensive work of the triple-shooting twins -- Coleman and Currie -- on Nicole Powell, who scored 21 points the previous night at the WNBA All-Star Game.
The Mystics' representative at the All-Star Game, Alana Beard, did play Sunday for Washington, finishing with only 7 points after playing 18 minutes in Saturday's exhibition game and traveling back to D.C. from Connecticut.
Plank wants her team to take its momentum into this week's two away games against conference rivals Indiana and New York.
"We're going to have to take care of the ball and take that offensive execution into Indiana," Plank said. "We've won on the road in big places -- in Detroit, in Connecticut, in San Antonio."
Washington will be searching for their biggest road win of the season on Tuesday night against conference leader Indiana. Since beating the Mystics 82-70 last Tuesday, the Fever lost to Seattle by 19 points, but they remain three games ahead of Connecticut in the East.