Mystics Solidify Playoff Positioning With Win Over Seattle

Imagine being under .500 and facing down a 19-11 team that you lost to by 10 points a week ago. Their leading scorer is out with an injury -- but so is yours. You're trying to beat a team that's won six straight, while you've gone 2-4.

If you're the Washington Mystics, you just did that with a 78-67 victory Thursday over the visiting Seattle Storm.

Mystics' leading scorer Alana Beard -- who watched Thursday's game from the sidelines because of an ankle injury -- was replaced in the starting lineup by Matee Ajavon, who knocked down a three early in the first for Washington's first score of the game. Monique Currie sealed the Mystics' 11-point victory with a steal and layup on an assist from Crystal Langhorne with under a minute left in the fourth.

In between, it was a foul free-for-all -- the two teams shared a total of 54 personal fouls by the end of the game. The Mystics could have wrapped up the game even earlier if they had they been able to capitalize at the line: they made only 22 of 38 free throws.

"We have to take care of the ball, we have to make our free throws," Mystics head coach Julie Plank said after the game. "I mean, we win by 11 and miss 16 free throws, so those are two areas that we've got to continue to focus on."

Overall, however, the now-.500 Mystics proved they could keep up with one of the best teams in the WNBA, and positioned themselves for a playoff berth. Washington currently sits as the number three seed in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining in the regular season.