Mystics Are Undone by Mistakes

Sun 69, Mystics 67

Washington Mystics Coach Richie Adubato had his team on the court a full two hours before tip-off yesterday and put his players through a pregame walk-through that more closely resembled a full-blown practice.

The reason for the extra work became obvious a few hours later, after the Connecticut Sun had ruined the Mystics' home opener by pulling out a 69-67 victory in front of an announced crowd of 11,155 at MCI Center. In the game's final 2 minutes 18 seconds, the Mystics turned over the ball three times, messed up a basic inbounds play and botched a set play after a timeout.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Sun, meantime, rode the late-game brilliance of forward Nykesha Sales, who scored seven of her 13 points down the stretch, and earned its first win of the season.

"At the end of the game we broke down four, five times," Adubato said. "We have to execute under pressure."

Washington was playing without star guard Alana Beard, who missed her second game with an ankle injury, while two other key players, forwards Chasity Melvin and DeLisha Milton-Jones, are still adjusting to a new system after arriving recently from playing overseas. Those factors, combined with the fact that Adubato is starting a rookie, Temeka Johnson, at point guard, have left the Mystics scrapping to create cohesion on the fly so far this season.

In Saturday's opener at Charlotte, the Mystics rode great defense to a relatively easy 60-42 victory. Still, Adubato estimated before yesterday's game that he'd installed only around 50 percent of his playbook and said he was still putting together a few go-to offensive sets knowing that he would not have Beard.

After falling behind 11-2, Connecticut finally warmed up and went on to shoot 46.2 percent from the field while making 18 of 19 free throws. During the game's critical stretch, Sales made a three-pointer, finished a fast break by making a tough layup and banked in a mid-range jump shot in traffic. The Mystics trailed 65-61 with 50 seconds remaining, but Johnson and Melvin didn't communicate on a set play and Johnson's pass sailed out of bounds.

"If we would have been up by 15 points, nobody would have noticed, but unfortunately it was close in the last three minutes, and when it's a close game you have to execute the plays," said Melvin, who scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 27 minutes. "For us, we have some new people, and we're still learning the offense."

The good news is that Beard, who went through some shooting drills before the game, could be back as soon as Thursday, when Chamique Holdsclaw and the Los Angeles Sparks visit MCI Center. Also, a break in the schedule will give Adubato and his coaching staff some much needed time to install more of the playbook.

Last night's game kicked off a four-game homestretch. Following Thursday's game against Los Angeles, the Mystics won't play again until the New York Liberty visits MCI Center on June 1.

"The next three days will be very important to us," Adubato said. "Not only will we be playing L.A. but we'll have some time to match up with some things and hopefully, patch some things up."

One thing Adubato doesn't have to worry about is Johnson, the team's first-round pick from LSU. One night after contributing 10 points and three assists at Charlotte in her WNBA debut, Johnson was the best player on the floor. The WNBA's shortest player -- Johnson is listed at 5 feet 3 -- thrilled the home crowd by scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and adding seven assists in 31 minutes.

Johnson came up with the play of the night when she sliced down the lane and lofted a floater over the outstretched arms of the WNBA's tallest player, 7-foot-2 center Margo Dydek, and she gave the Mystics a 51-50 lead with a sensational drive and layup at the 12:24 mark of the second half.

"For her to come in and play the way she's played in these two games as a rookie right out of college is just incredible," Adubato said.

Mystics Notes: Adubato said he will eventually insert Milton-Jones into the starting lineup at the small forward position. Milton-Jones, who scored 11 points in 29 minutes at Charlotte on Saturday and scored 10 points in 25 minutes last night, had only two practices with the Mystics prior to Saturday's opener after flying in from Spain on Thursday.