WNBA Washington Mystics

Mystics Update

Published on September 6, 2011 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Washington Mystics News Release


Mystics Recap:

After playing the top team in the Western Conference, the Washington Mystics dropped their ninth straight loss of the season on August 30 to the Minnesota Lynx in their second and final game of the series 56-73. Both teams tied with 17 turnovers, but that was not enough for the Mystics to ever take the lead during the entire game. Rookie guard Jasmine Thomas saw the most minutes in the game with 38 and scored seven points. Crystal Langhorne scored 13 points and Nicky Anosike added seven.

Turning their losing streak around, the Mystics won their match up against the Atlanta Dream 85-81 on September 1. Langhorne scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds, posting her sixth double-double of the season. Angel McCoughtry scored 30 points for the Dream. Mystics forward Monique Currie made her season debut following her successful anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) recovery. In her debut, Currie played just over nine minutes and scored eight points, shooting 2-for-4 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Currie also tallied three rebounds and collected one steal.

On a back-to-back game series, the Mystics traveled to Atlanta with hopes of continuing their winning streak. However they fell to the Dream 73-95, losing the regular season series 2-3 to the Dream. Defense proved to be difficult for the Mystics, not being able to have taken the lead for the entire game. The biggest lead of the night was 25 points but the Mystics were able to catch up and bring the lead down to eight; however that was not enough and placed the Dream in the fourth spot for the playoffs.

The Mystics returned to the nation's capital on September 4 for the home finale against the Connecticut Sun. The Mystics failed to take the lead throughout the entire game as they did in their previous contest in Atlanta. The Mystics have not won a game against the Sun in their four game series. Washington took nearly five minutes in the first quarter to execute a play that would result in a point and allowed the Sun to have a comfortable lead for the night. Currie was the leading scorer for the Mystics with 13 points. Sun Center Tina Charles proved to be an obstacle for the Mystics with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Charles has recorded 21 double-doubles so far this season.

Open Mic:

WASHINGTON MYSTICS HEAD COACH TRUDI LACEY

Overall thoughts on the game:

"Tough night. We obviously did not shoot the ball well at all. I think we are physically and mentally tired. With three games in four days with a short bench, I think that makes it kind of tough. Having said that, I'm disappointed that we didn't come out and compete and do the little things that we needed to do in order to stay in the game. We turned the ball over early and missed some makeable shots. We didn't set screens and didn't box out, so all that makes for a long night."

On Monique Currie's performance:

"We had her at the Atlanta game here; we didn't have her at the game there. And she played this game, so it's just us trying to put the pieces together and learn each other. But it's really good to see what she brings and to give the players an opportunity to play with her."

WASHINGTON MYSTICS FORWARD MONIQUE CURRIE

Adjustments for next opponent, Indiana:

"We just want to finish the season on a high note, just to compete. We know we are not going to make the playoffs, but we all are competitors and we want to win. Hopefully we can turn things around and finish the season strong."

Game of the Week: Washington Mystics vs. San Antonio Silver Stars, Saturday, September 10, 8:00PM

The Washington Mystics will close out the 2011 campaign against the San Antonio Silver Star. In their first matchup against the Silver Stars, the Mystics lost 67-73 on their home court. Langhorne led the Mystics with 19 points and seven rebounds. She was 6-for-8 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Langhorne also collected three steals and blocked two shots in the Mystics loss. Mystics forward Marissa Coleman added 14 points for the Mystics, scoring eight of her points in the first quarter alone. Coleman shot 3-for-6 from three point range and collected seven rebounds. Thomas played 29 minutes off the bench, scoring eight points and leading the Mystics with five assists. The Silver Stars were led by guard Becky Hammon who led all scorers with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Hammon shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, 6-for-13 from the field, and 3-for-6 from three point range. The Silver Stars bench outscored the Mystics bench 35-13 and outrebounded the Mystics 32-30. Silver Stars center Jayne Appel grabbed 12 rebounds in 20 minutes of play. San Antonio is currently holding on to the fourth spot in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Sparks only two games behind them in an attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Currie Makes Season Debut:

Mystics forward Monique Currie returned to the lineup following her successful anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) recovery, making her season debut against the Atlanta Dream on September 1. Currie suffered the injury while playing in Turkey. In her debut, Currie played just over nine minutes and scored eight points, shooting 2-for-4 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Currie also tallied three rebounds and collected one steal in the Mystics 85-81 victory. In just her second game of the season against the Connecticut Sun on September 4, Currie led the team with 13 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Currie also grabbed six rebounds and collected three steals in 18 minutes.

Rookie Rankings:

Rookie point guard Jasmine Thomas has been showing promise in the latter part of the season. New to the Mystics starting lineup for the past four games, Thomas ranks sixth amongst all rookies in minutes per game (18.7), seventh in points per game (6.2), and fourth in assists per game (1.97).

Something New:

In the Mystics loss to the Minnesota Lynx on August 30, Mystics head coach Trudi Lacey attempted a new starting lineup. In place of the usual - guard Kelly Miller, forward Marissa Coleman, and center Nicky Anosike, Lacey gave three Mystics players their first starts of the season - rookie guard Jasmine Thomas, forward Kerri Gardin and center DeMya Walker. The three combined for 19 of the Mystics 56 points.

Check out the Washington Mystics Statistics

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from September 6, 2011


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