SportsLog

On a four-game losing skid, the Washington Mystics looked to get back to winning ways Sunday afternoon at the Verizon Center. In front of 10,675, the Mystics came out firing from the floor, shooting 47.5 percent. That percentage helped them to a 83-63 victory over the Tulsa Shock. Both teams entered the contest with one victory on the season. The Mystics had the lead the entire game with a lead that once grew to 24. YDC asked Mystics head coach Trudi Lacey asked what about win impressed her most. She said, “Our intensity on defense finally had a good defensive game, and we’re getting better at executing in the half-court sets.”

Some other notable stats: the Mystics three-point shots were 41.7 percent successful; they were 71 percent from the free throw line. The Mystics next home game comes Saturday as they take on Seattle at 4 p.m. at the Verizon Center.

Some other breaking news this week: Jim Riggleman stepped down after a Nationals walk-off victory over the Seattle Mariners. When Riggleman left the team Thursday, June 23, the Nats had just scored their eleventh victory in 12 games. Over the weekend, bench coach John McLaren was the interim coach, The club announced Sunday that head coach veteran Davey Johnson is going to take over the club.

In all of this coaching mess, the team is still red hot and there are games to be played. Over the weekend, the Nats won the series over the Chicago White Sox defeating them 9-5 in a 14-inning marathon on Friday. The Nats bullpen blew three saves, but they still got the W. On Saturday, they fell 1-0, then won 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a Danny Espinosa homer. The Nats now travel to Anaheim to face the Angels and to finish interleague play before returning home for July Fourth weekend against Pittsburgh. At this writing, the Nats sit at 37-35, two games over the .500 mark. They sit in third place in the NL East standings.

With a record of winning three home openers in a row at the Verizon Center, the Mystics were 1-1 on the road as they took the court against the Chicago Sky Saturday night. In front of a crowd of 11,943, the Mystics slipped down a hole early trailing by 18 in the first half.

The Mystics came out with a lot better effort in the second half and cut the lead to three. Never seizing the lead, it was too-little-too-late during the comeback. Big shots by the Sky defeated the Mystics, 84-77. The Mystics fell as they struggled on defense throughout the game. The Sky scored 60 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from three. The Mystics only shot 45.6 percent and 30.8 percent from three.

Offensively, the Mystics leading scorer was Matee Ajavon with 24 points. She led both teams scoring. The Sky’s leading scorer was Sylvia Fowles with 23 points.

With her three-year history in the Mystics organization, this was Mystics coach Trudi Lacey’s first regular-season home game. She took over the coaching job Nov. 25, 2010. She is also the team’s general manager.

A bright spot of the evening came when the Mystics dropped its “2010 Eastern Conference Champions” banner from the rafters at the Verizon Center. The Mystics look for their first home win on Thursday as they tip off with the Connecticut Sun at 7:00 p.m.