To break out of their current slump, perhaps the Mystics should spend a bitmore quality time with their adorable mascot, Pax the Bear. (Photo by
RoxandaBear.)
- Silver Stars 79, Mystics 78: Well, so much for that undefeated homestand. The Mystics lost another heartbreaker last night, even though they outscored the Stars in both the third and fourth quarters. The Mystics downfall? The dynamic duo of Becky Hammon and Sophia Young, who scored 41 of San Antonio’s 79 points. (More than half the team’s total points? Not too shabby.) The Mystics had a chance to win on the game’s final possession, but Lindsay Harding’s inbounds pass was stolen. Harding scored 18 points and Alana Beard had 17 to lead the Mystics, who are now 2-5 in their last seven after starting the season with a 4-1 record. But they’ve still got an fuzzy panda mascot (see right), so that’s got to count for something.
- Freedom 4, Sky Blue FC 4: In the highest scoring game in the league’s admittedly short history, the Freedom battled back from deficits of 3-1 and 4-3 to earn a point on the road in New Jersey. Chalk it up to one of those crazy soccer matches which defy all reason, especially for SBFC: in 14 games this year, the Garden Staters were both scoring and allowing less than one goal per game. Natasha Kai and Kacey White both had braces (that’s two-goal games for the soccer-impaired) for Sky Blue, including a cool 86th minute tally off the boot of Kai which seemed to settle matters. But cue the insanity — Freedom defender Cat Whitehill, of all people, put in the winner in stoppage time: a true poacher’s goal — after a save by Jenni Branam parried the ball off the crossbar, the ball simply fell into Whitehill’s path and she would have had to try not to score. Lisa De Vanna also scored twice for the Freedom.
