Washington Mystics News

Chamique Holdsclaw scored 18 points, and Sancho Lyttle added 16, helping the Atlanta Dream snap a two-game losing streak with a 72-65 victory over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.

Alana Beard hit a 16-footer with 1.9 seconds left to help the Washington Mystics beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 84-82 tonight.

When she took the job as coach of the Washington Mystics in November, Julie Plank knew one of the first things she needed was an experienced point guard. She wanted someone who saw the game the same way she did, who could set an example of the work ethic she would demand and whom she could trust completely to run the show. As Plank considered the traits, one name immediately popped into her mind.

Plank had grown familiar with Lindsey Harding last season, while serving as a guards coach for the Minnesota Lynx. Harding was a true point guard with a confident swagger and defensive mind-set, and there was a chance that Minnesota might be willing to deal the 2007 first-overall draft pick in its latest rebuilding effort.

Becky Hammon's return has given the San Antonio Silver Stars an immediate lift. Now she'll try to help the defending Western Conference champions move above .500 for the first time this season Tuesday night when they host the Washington Mystics .

Defending the home turf was a priority for the Sky before it started its fourth WNBA season.

A week ago at Verizon Center, the Washington Mystics faced a 10-point halftime deficit against the Chicago Sky.

Lindsey Harding, left, was the No. 1 draft pick in 2007; Alana Beard went second in '04. Washington's Alana Beard and Lindsey Harding were in practice the other day when they had one of those moments of what, in their case, might be called "dj blue." As in, "Weren't we once in this exact same situation as Blue Devils?" On this particular occasion, ...

Since she was hired in November, Washington Mystics Coach Julie Plank has preached that defense would serve as the backbone of this franchise's new identity. Tonight at 7, her squad's defense will face its toughest test yet when the Mystics host the Phoenix Mercury and its high-octane offense.

The Mercury (5-3) is the WNBA's ultimate run-and-gun team, daring opponents to keep up with its league-best 91.4 points per game. Led by Olympians Diana Taurasi (22.5 ppg) and Cappie Pondexter (20.1 ppg) -- also two of the top five scorers in the league -- Phoenix boasts six players who average double digits, and it will try to draw Washington into a full-scale offensive shootout.

Chicago Sky at Atlanta Dream When: 11 a.m. Where: Philips Arena Recent results: On Saturday, the Sky lost to the Washington Mystics 81-72; on Sunday, the Dream lost to the New York Liberty 93-81. Skinny: The Sky started a three-game winning streak with a home-opener victory over Atlanta on June 12.

Despite an injury to one of the top rookies in the WNBA, the University of Maryland will be well represented in Saturday's contest at Verizon Center as Kristi Toliver's Chicago Sky will take on Crystal Langhorne's Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. Toliver, the third overall selection in the 2009 WNBA Draft, and Langhorne, the sixth overall pick in 2008, ...

The Washington Mystics claimed outright leadership of the WNBA's Eastern Conference with an 81-72 comeback win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday.

Alana Beard had 31 points and five assists to lead the Washington Mystics to an 81-72 victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday night.

When Kristi Toliver made her WNBA debut earlier this month, she saw a familiar sight in the crowd at Target Center in Minneapolis: Young kids dressed in Maryland T-shirts and No. 20 jerseys shouted her name and waved at her, even though she now wears No. 7 for the Chicago Sky.

A similar scene greeted Marissa Coleman, Toliver's former teammate on the Terrapins, during an autograph session at an Italian restaurant in Rockville in late May. As Coleman signed glossy photos of herself holding a Washington Mystics uniform, a crowd of kids wearing Terps shirts and Crocs surrounded her.

Washington Mystics forward Marissa Coleman has a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.

" An Iraqi girls' basketball team made up of 10 players and three coaches will be making a stop at the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vols basketball camp as part of a program that promotes peace and cultural understanding through sports.

Former Kansas State and current Atlanta Dream point guard Shalee Lehning saw more playing time in Sunday's 77-71 loss at the Washington Mystics.

Comments The Washington Mystics did a lot of things right on the way to the first 2-0 start in franchise history.

The Washington Mystics opened a WNBA season 3-0 for the first time in franchise history by beating the Detroit Shock 75-69 on Wednesday.

Wearing red T-shirts, black capri pants and black tennis shoes, the energetic group of teenage girls chatted excitedly as they quickly made their way down the wide corridor of the Verizon Center, just before tip-off for the Washington Mystics.

Nakia Sanford paused to consider what a win against the Detroit Shock this early in the season might mean to the new, rejuvenated and overhauled Washington Mystics. Perhaps not that much, the seven-year WNBA veteran said. After all, there are a lot of young faces on this team. For the older players, though, the possibility of defeating the defending champions at Detroit and starting the year 3-0 is tantalizing.

Consider first that the Mystics have not won at the Palace of Auburn Hills since June 24, 2005, a lone 69-55 victory in seven trips to Detroit over the past four seasons. During that span, Washington has defeated the Shock just five times in 15 meetings overall. Tonight, the Mystics have a chance to improve upon the first 2-0 start in history at 7:30 p.m. when they face a Shock team that is without three of its top four post players.