Mystics Continue Their Freefall

Team Lacks Offense In Sixth Straight Loss : Lynx 59, Mystics 50

Minnesota forward Svetlana Abrosimova goes to the basket for a layup as Washington forward Aiysha Smith trails the play. The Mystics have lost six straight games and hold the worst record in the WNBA. (John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post)

With leading scorer and rebounder Chamique Holdsclaw sidelined for the sixth time in the last eight games, the Washington Mystics walked off the court at MCI Center yesterday afternoon with the worst record in the WNBA.

"We've just got to stay strong through this very difficult time," Coach Marianne Stanley said after the 59-50 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, the Mystics' lowest-scoring game of the season. "There's light at the end of the tunnel, but it's real hard to see that. You've to stay focused and positive -- know that you're a good basketball team. That's the challenge, and it requires a big heart and a lot of character right now."

Unlike their most recent game, the Mystics (2-9) could not treat the 13,684 fans to a thrilling comeback and create last-minute drama. A combination of wing player Katie Smith in the first half and 6-foot-6 Michele Van Gorp in the second helped tilt the game in favor of Minnesota.

Offsetting a decent defensive effort was no Mystics starter scoring more than eight points and the team going 3 for 16 on three-point shots.

"A few games ago, it was our defense that didn't work," said point guard Annie Burgess, a reference to yielding 93 points to the Detroit Shock two weeks ago. "Now, it's the reverse."

The light to which Stanley alluded may well be quite a distance off, because the Mystics -- who have lost six straight -- will begin a three-game road stretch Wednesday at Sacramento. They will play the next night in Seattle and two nights later in Houston. Holdsclaw said the doctor thought there was an "80 percent" chance of her playing in Sacramento.

Holdsclaw had been optimistic about playing yesterday after practicing Saturday for the first time since re-injuring her right hamstring eight days earlier. That workout was not at a game-intensive level, however, and after an examination by the team doctor about an hour before tip-off it was decided she should not play.

"There was a lot of inflammation, about the size of an egg," she said. "We wanted to be cautious."

Stanley saw some positives, among them rookie center Nakia Sanford making 5 of 6 shots and grabbing four rebounds in 22 minutes in a reserve role. At 6-4, she may well be the most aggressive front-court player the Mystics have, in addition to being their only true center.

The Mystics also were more assertive in the game, even though they shot just seven free throws. However, after drawing five fouls on the Lynx in the first four-plus minutes of the second half, they never were able to get to the bonus free throw situation.

Smith, the only WNBA player with more than 300 three-pointers, made her first six shots and had outscored the Mystics midway through the opening half. Neither Asjha Jones nor Murriel Page was effective against her, so Stanley ordered a zone defense.

That normally is exactly what a shooter dreams of, but Smith seemed to get lost in the zone and did not score for more than 20 minutes. But her very long three-pointer with 11 minutes 10 seconds left in the game was one of the critical shots, because it lifted Minnesota's lead to six after a Mystics flurry. Washington closed within five points with 2:47 left on a low-post move by Sanford, but did not score again.

"You lose a few and sometimes you forget how to win," said Stacey Dales-Schuman, who came off the bench for the second straight game and left her normal wing position for several minutes to play at point guard as Stanley searched for more offense. "You've got to win a game, remember how that feels, remember what it's like to push through that five-minute span with a five-point deficit, learn how to crawl out of it."

• ROCKERS 66, FEVER 53: LaToya Thomas, the first pick in the 2003 draft, scored a career-high 23 points on 10-of-11 shooting to lead host Cleveland. Tamika Catchings had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana.