The Washington Mystics may only have six wins on the season, but you sure can't tell that by the way they have played in their match ups against the Atlanta Dream. The Mystics outscored Atlanta 43-35 in the second half to capture an 85-81 victory.
Atlanta carried a 46-42 lead into halftime after a strong second quarter. However, the Dream weren't able to crank up the defensive pressure in the second half. The Mystics took advantage by knocking down open shots with Crystal Langhorne doing most of the damage scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Matee Ajavon finished with 19 points and Jasmine Thomas added 12.
Angel McCoughtry led all scorers in the game with 30 points while shooting 10 for 21 from the field and 10 for 12 from the free throw line. Allison Bales got the start for the injured Erika de Souza and delivered 11 points and six rebounds. Sancho Lyttle and Lindsey Harding each finished with 10 points. Harding also recorded a game-high eight assists.
The loss drops the Dream to 16-14 on the season and one full game behind the New York Liberty for third place in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta leads the Chicago Sky by two full games for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East.
The loss evens the season series between the Dream and the Mystics with the rubber match scheduled on Friday at Philips Arena.
For more on the Atlanta Dream and the WNBA Playoff race, be sure and check out Swish Appeal.