For The First Twenty Minutes of the Mystics' game last night in LA, it looked almost certain that Washington would finish up its five-game road trip without a single victory. During the first two periods, the Mystics played some of the worst basketball we've seen them play this season, allowing the Sparks to build as much as a 24-point lead. By halftime, the Mystics had managed to cut that lead by only two points, and so they entered the locker room at the break with the Sparks firmly ahead, 47-25.
The BCs guess that around that time many folks (oh you of little faith) turned off the game and called it a night. Those of you who did, well, you missed an amazing second half of basketball . . . and, no doubt, woke up to a big surprise this morning!
In the third quarter, the Sparks came out flat, while the Mystics, led by Lang and Matee, suddenly were able to find the net, and outscored LA in that period, 20-12. That closed the gap to 59-45 . . . a good effort by Washington, but still nothing to cause panic on the Sparks' bench. But in the final quarter, the Sparks simply imploded, scoring 18 points while the Mystics virtually scored at will, pouring in 32 points! The Sparks' entire 22-point halftime lead was history, and with the score tied at the end of regulation, 77-77, the teams were headed for overtime. For Maryland fans, the last minute of regulation was particularly sweet, as we saw a shoot out between Lang and Marissa on one end of the court and Kristi on the other, each of the three nailing a big bucket for her team.
With the game now going to "penalty kicks" as the LA announcer put it (perhaps he, like the BCs, had spent hours earlier in the day watching the USA's futile effort against Japan), the Mystics took over completely, outscoring LA 12-8 and ending their long road trip with a much-needed W, 89-85. According to the AP, the win was the largest second-half comeback in WNBA history.
Matee led all scorers with 29 points, while Lang added 24 points plus 14 boards (for another double-double) and 5 assists. (No wonder Lang's back has been hurting . . . she's doing a lot of heavy lifting these days!) Marissa was the only other Mystic in double-figures (10), with all of her scoring coming in the critical fourth quarter and in OT. Except for Jasmine (8 points), the Mystics' bench contributed very little last night. Kristi led the Sparks with 21 points (including 4 of 5 three-pointers) and tallied 7 assists in a losing effort.
The Mystics' win last night broke their five-game losing streak and improved their record (a little), to 3-10, still last in the East. They return home on Wednesday for the annual kiddie day game (aka Screamageddon) at 11:30am. The Mystics will be playing the Atlanta Dream, one of the only three teams they have beaten this season.
If you'll be one of the few grownups attending . . . don't forget your earplugs!
posted by BasketCases @ 9:03 AM
18 comments
18 Comments:
What a comeback!! I didn't switch the game off completely, but I did turn to my regular Sunday night programs. However, I kept checking back!!! Congratulations Mystics. Way to keep working!! "Overtime is our time!!!" :)
LOL @ "Screamageddon!" I've got my earplugs ready! I use them for the Caps games. Great win by the team. I must admit, I turned it off midway through the third quarter. Shame on me! :-(
Great defense in the second half and good shooting by Ajavon and Langhorne fueled the comeback. The players deserve credit for continuing to play hard when down by so much in the second half.
This team shows heart and now has the "never say die," mentality. Good comeback. But can we please in the future not make it so we have to break a WNBA record of biggest comeback ever again. You Got "Spunk"!
Yep, I was another one of those that gave up. I'm glad the team didn't.
If I was the Mystics GM, I would trade Beard or Currie to Tulsa for their 2012 draft pick. Coleman has proven she can handle the guard spot and this would guarantee possibly the top 2 picks in next year's draft. Chances are they will pick another Dukie though.
Let's just celebrate this awesome win. No team is going to give up a first round draft pick for two injured players. Way to go Mystics and way to go coaching staff for helping these ladies believe they can make a comeback. The fight in this team is incredible and should be celebrated.
Coleman is no Currie, sorry. And Coleman is my favorite player. But sorry, trading your 2nd best player and an all star in Currie is not smart. Coleman comes off the bench if Currie is playing--she has proven herself to be a better player. Dual threat. She can drive to the basket and shoot from the outside. Coleman hasn't developed those offensive skills yet. in the first half last night, I thought maybe Coleman was trying to be a PG. Often she is passed the ball and she does nothing with it except always look to give it to someone else. That's why she HAS to learn and become confident in driving to the basket. It's the next level for Marissa and I think determines whether or not she becomes a star in the wnba or stays a good player/piece on a team.
That's because for the first 2 years Coleman's role was to stand around the arc and wait for an open shot. Plus the lane is clogged with Langhorne and Anosike so it's hard to drive. Coleman has the better all-around game than Currie, but coaches haven't provided her the confidence to play her game.
You must be joking--one thing Trudy has done is provide Coleman with lots of minutes. The lane is clogged? That doesn't seem to bother Matee and it didnt bother Currie or Harding last year. To say Coleman at this point in her career, has a better all around game than Currie, must not understand basketball. I hope and believe she can get there but she is clearly not there yet. Currie is the 2nd best player on this team and is sorely missed. To trade her would be crazy. This coming from a Terps fan and Duke hater but all I see is Mystics when it comes to the wnba.
Excellent win guys! I think your post summed up my feelings to a T, BC's!
Currie sans injury is a better player than Coleman for all the reasons given above. But whether she'll be able to drive to the basket after this ACL injury (her second) is a question. I sure hope so.
Beard will either try to play the second half of this season or retire. It looks like that repaired left ankle might not give her the stability she needs, hence the foot injury. Here I hope I'm wrong.
In any event, Matee sure is filling in well for AB, and Coleman is giving about 60% of what you'd get from Currie. Lang is giving 110% as usual. The real problem is at PG, where Miller/Thomas are together a poor substitute for Lindsey Harding. Too bad for the Mystics and Harding both that she decided to go elsewhere as she isn't having nearly the success with the Dream that she had with the Mystics. If she had stayed put, I know the Mystics would have had a lot more than 3 wins and Lindsey would have still been considered one of the top PGs in the league.
True. Hopefully Currie will be the same player prior to her injury. Rooting for her.
"Currie is the 2nd best player on this team and is sorely missed. To trade her would be crazy. This coming from a Terps fan and Duke hater but all I see is Mystics when it comes to the wnba."
The main reason Currie is missed is on Defense. Until her offense returned last season, Currie earned PT with her Defense. I also worry about Mo's return from ACL as she was never the same player after the first ACL.
I am cheering - HARD - for the former Terps playing for the Mystics. If Coleman beats out Currie for PT next year, I want it to be because Coleman is playing well, not because Mo is not.
The main reason Currie is missed is because of her defense and her offense last year. She was an all star remember and she wasn't one just because of her defense. Check her stats especially her FG percentage--it was very good. I am cheering HARD for the Mystics that's why even though I am a bigger fan of Coleman's, I know she is not the player Mo is yet and if Mo comes back and is the player she was last year, I would be surprised if Marissa is a starter against. Of course, Coleman's game could improve and I am rooting for her that it does.
How crazy is it at a Mystics game when it's camp day? Do you have to get there extra early because of it? I am going tomorrow and have never been when it's been camp day. Any suggestions would be helpful
@ 4:24 At a minimum do as the BC's suggested...wear good ear plugs. It is unbelievably loud! Get there early... there will be thousands of buses and even more loud children. Then they give them loud noisemakers. Sometime it's so busy, your ticket barely gets scanned...they just tear it off. Just be prepared for crazy and have fun.
One advantage of getting there a little early is actually getting your seat. In the past, MFO has sold blocks of seats to camps that included STH seats.
If that happens, you can either hold your ground and sit amidst the screaming masses, or you can go to guest services, let them know what's happened, and they'll find you another seat. We've wound up a couple of rows behind the Mystics bench when that's happened. If you choose to keep your original seat, don't wear sandals - your toes will be tromped by passing kids, and be aware that children do not have any concept of standing or otherwise moving to permit someone to pass along the row of seats. Once you're in your seat, you're not going anywhere.
That said, it's great fun. I always enjoy the amazement by the boys when one of the "girls" makes a great play. (And I chuckle when they say "That looks like what I do". In your dreams, fella) the energy level reminds me of the early years of the franchise, when the organization paid attention to the fan experience.
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