Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The Mystics who have played and lost all three road games this season physically look like the Mystics we've seen play at the Phone Booth; they are wearing the same uniforms with the same numbers, and they answer to the same names. However, all resemblance ends there. They don't seem to play with the same finesse, skill, energy and drive of the Phone Booth Mystics. The BasketCases can only conclude that the Road Team Mystics are Pod People, who take over the genuine Mystics as soon as they leave our nation's capital and vanish once they return. How else to explain such decisive wins at home yet another lackluster showing on the road, as the Mystics lost this afternoon to the Sun, 85-71 (even without Connecticut starter Taj McWilliams-Franklin). While Alana Beard hit her 1,000th career point early in the second half, and scored a career-high 29 points, the team as a whole seemed to lack drive and energy. Somehow, Richie Adubato needs to figure out how to keep the Pod People from taking over on the road.

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The only thing more lackluster than the Mystics' play today was the Comcast broadcasting duo of Charlie Neal and Christy Winters Scott, who combined for just about the dullest commentary the BasketCases have ever heard. Neal in particular was plodding and soporific, and he made numerous mistakes as he called the game. The BasketCases recommend saving the audio of this game in the event of insomnia.