Cold-Shooting Mystics Drop Playoff Opener

Sun 76, Mystics 61

Washington Coach Richie Adubato spent hours scrutinizing nine game films of the Connecticut Sun, breaking down every offensive and defensive set. The Mystics spent hours learning each of the Sun's plays, yet in the end, it didn't matter.

No amount of preparation could have helped Washington offset two of their best players -- guards Alana Beard and Nikki Teasley -- having their worst outings of the season at such an inopportune time.

Beard and Teasley joined their dejected teammates as they walked off the Verizon Center court following a 76-61 loss to Connecticut before 8,547 spectators last night as the Sun took the first game of the best-of-three series.

The Mystics did not open their locker room to the media after the game. According to a team official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, one of the reasons was that Beard unleashed a tirade after the game and caused damage to tables, chairs and walls in the locker room. However, another Mystics source who was inside the locker room said Beard destroyed no property.

Was it the last time the Mystics will play at home this year? History says it was.

Of the 20 best-of-three series in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, no fourth seed has lost the first game at home and won the next two on the road against the top seed. But that's just what Washington (18-16 regular season) has to do against the Sun (26-8) if it wants to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in franchise history. The Mystics must win Game 2 tomorrow and Game 3 on Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena, where they have dropped their last six meetings dating from 2004 and are 1-7 all-time. The Mystics' 61 points were a season low.

"There's nothing we can do about this game, so we just have to go out and try to make history," Washington forward DeLisha Milton-Jones said. "In a game of this magnitude, we thought we would come out here ready to go. We never expected the game to go like this."

Neither did Beard, who came in averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game and had scored in double figures in 28 of 32 games. But she missed her first nine shots and finished with nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. Teasley, who entered averaging 10.7 points, finished with four points on 1-of-9 shooting, but posted a game-high seven assists.

"The shots were there, but I just had an off night," Beard said. "You won't know if it will go in if you don't shoot it, so I kept shooting."

"After everything we did to prepare for this series, we knew that for us to have a chance, we had to have two or three of our star players really step it up," Adubato said. "Everyone has bad games. It happens, but unfortunately for us, it happened in the playoffs."

Washington was led by Milton-Jones (15 points, nine rebounds) and Coco Miller (12 points), but the duo wasn't nearly enough against an opponent whose five starters who were selected to play in last month's All-Star Game.

Connecticut was led by its back court of Lindsay Whalen (season-high 22 points) and Douglas (17 points), who led a balanced attack in which five players finished in double figures.