Mystics Pick Up Win, But Lose All-Star Beard
Sunday's 81-75 victory over the Minnesota Lynx kept the 14-15 Mystics in playoff contention, but the price was high: an injury to All-Star Alana Beard's ankle late in the fourth quarter forced her to the sidelines.
Head coach Julie Plank told reporters during her post-game press conference that she had no information on Beard other than that she was currently being seen by the team doctor. Beard first injured her ankle during last Tuesday's loss to Seattle.
"She's playing through a lot of pain right now, and that's what a lot of teams are doing this time of year," Plank said. "These players are hurt. They're tired. The most important thing for our team is that they're 100 percent healthy."
As for the game with all those tired players, the score stayed tight until the Mystics exploded in the third, putting up 33 points. With that burst, they extended their lead to 16 less than two minutes into the fourth. With two minutes left, however, the Lynx had fought back to within four. With Beard sitting on the bench, the Mystics put up seven more points to Minnesota's five to finish off the game.
Plank said that if the Mystics did have to play out the 2009 season sans Beard, winning a playoff berth would require everyone on the roster to step up, which she felt happened Sunday: six players were in double digits (led by Crystal Langhorne's 18 points). Even more will be expected of Lindsey Harding and Langhorne, who are already in the top five in the league for assists and rebounds, respectively. Plank also singled out a positive increase in discipline: the team's 18 fouls were a drastic cutback from their previous contest against the Lynx, when they committed 36.
The other Mystics story to watch is that of rookie Marissa Coleman, who has a combined 38 points in the Mystics' first three games before too being sidelined with an ankle injury. She hadn't scored in double digits again until a 13 point game last Tuesday against Seattle, but she followed that up with an 11-point performance Sunday.
Plank said she met with Coleman and told her the team was counting on her to produce and that she could still help the team make the playoffs.
"I just listed the reasons we drafted her -- I mean, she's got poise, she can score, she's got presence," Plank said. "I think Marissa got her swagger back on the West Coast."
The Mystics currently share the same record as Connecticut, which held the fourth seed going into Sunday (the Mystics hold a 2-1 advantage in the series with the Sun). However, Chicago, the third seed in the Eastern Conference, lost Sunday and dropped to 14-16. Washington's next contest is at home Thursday against Seattle, who beat the Mystics 78-68 last week. The Mystics are only 4-7 through the month of August, but games against Chicago and second seed Atlanta (15-14) in the next few weeks could prove to be their ticket into the playoffs.
"We just have to focus on ourselves. It's nice that we can control our own destiny," Plank said.