Mystics

The Washington Mystics spent most of Thursday night trying to atone for yet another slow start. Methodically, they trimmed the deficit from 17points to 12 to six to three. For less than a minute, they even took a one-point lead. But in the closing minutes of a 79-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun that dropped the Mystics to 1-3 on the season, the same deficiencies that forced them into a sizable early hole ensured they would not complete their comeback attempt. The Mystics have trailed at halftime in each of their four games thus far and have trailed by 12 points after the first quarter in each of their past two contests.

WNBA draft Terps ' Barrett, Kizer selected among top 30 Maryland point guard Anjalé Barrett and center Lynetta Kizer were selected in the top 30 of the WNBA draft Monday afternoon. Barrett was picked 26th overall and went to the Washington Mystics, to join former teammate Crystal Langhorne . Kizer went to the Tulsa Shock two picks later. Barrett finished her senior season second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in assists (4.9) and assist-turnover ratio (1.8)

The Washington Mystics came into the WNBA Eastern Conference semifinals with a franchise-best 22 wins, a six-game winning streak and the top seed in the East. The one thing they forgot to bring was their defense. Washington's defensive shortcomings led to its 95-90 loss to the fourth-seeded Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night before 10,322 at Verizon Center. "I was very disappointed with our defensive effort," coach Julie Plank said. "You can't give up 95 points. ... Whether we were in man or we were in zone, their dribble penetration hurt us a lot. We were fouling too much, and they pretty much got what they wanted.

Et cetera Ex-Terp Langhorne stays with Mystics WNBA All-Star forward Crystal Langhorne (Maryland) re-signed with the Washington Mystics. Langhorne led the team with 18.2points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season. NFL: The Ravens hired Chris Hewitt on Thursday to be their assistant special teams coach and promoted Matt Weiss to defensive assistant. Hewitt, 37, a Cincinnati alumnus, spent the past eight years at Rutgers, including the past two as running backs coach.

The Washington Wizards signed guard-forward Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract, president Ernie Grunfeld announced. Martin, 6 feet 7 and 220 pounds, had averaged 17.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 31 games this season for the Iowa Energy of the NBA Developmental League. He was signed to replace Alonzo Gee , who completed two 10-day contracts with the Wizards. Washington planned to sign him for the rest of the season, but Gee signed with the San Antonio Spurs. The Wizards also learned that guard Randy Foye has a strained ligament in his left wrist.

WNBA The WNBA Washington Mystics on Wednesday added free-agent forward-center Laura Harper , who started on Maryland's national championship team in 2005-06. Harper, the 10th overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, has played for the Sacramento Monarchs and San Antonio Silver Stars. She is averaging 13.6 points and 10.3 rebounds this season for Antakya in Turkey. The Mystics also added free-agent post player Ashley Walker and re-signed forward Kerri Gardin . College basketball Mount's Burke on administrative leave Mount St. Mary's placed men's basketball coach Robert Burke on paid administrative leave Wednesday and named assistant Matt Henry the team's acting coach.

WNBA Mystics deal ex-Terp Coleman to Sparks The Washington Mystics acquired guard-forward Noelle Quinn from the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, general manager and coach Trudi Lacey announced, in exchange for guard-forward Marissa Coleman , a former Maryland star. The 6-foot Quinn has played five seasons in the WNBA, including the past three with Los Angeles. After a distinguished college career at UCLA, Quinn was the fourth overall selection in the 2007 draft by Minnesota, where she spent her first two seasons.

WNBA Mystics deal Harding, add 1st-rounders Phillips, Dunlap The Washington Mystics acquired center Ta'Shia Phillips , guard Kelly Miller and a 2012 first-round draft pick from the Atlanta Dream on Monday for guard Lindsey Harding and the Mystics' second-round pick in 2012. Phillips, 6feet6, who averaged 16.1 points and 12.4 rebounds in her senior season at Xavier, was selected eighth overall by Atlanta in the first round of Monday's WNBA draft. With the 11th pick, the Mystics chose Victoria Dunlap , a 6-1 forward from Kentucky who was Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

WASHINGTON - -Cappie Pondexter scored 24 points and Diana Taurasi had 23 to help the Phoenix Mercury pick up its first road victory of the season with a 93-87 win over the host Washington Mystics on Thursday night. Temeka Johnson added 11 points and Kelly Mazzante scored 10 for the Mercury (6-3), who had key runs to close out the first and third quarters and then held off the Mystics' late rally. Alana Beard led five double-figure scorers with 21 points and had four steals, as the Mystics (4-2)

WASHINGTON -- When is the result of a basketball game superfluous? When it comes in the middle of a coronation, that's when.For the record, the Washington Mystics lost their WNBA season opener, 83-73, to the Charlotte Sting last night, the 28th loss in the franchise's 31 games, but it just didn't matter.Chamique Holdsclaw had come to stake her claim as the basketball queen of the "most important city in the world," as the public address announcer describes it, and her subjects were all too happy to let her reign begin.

WNBA The WNBA Washington Mystics on Wednesday added free-agent forward-center Laura Harper , who started on Maryland's national championship team in 2005-06. Harper, the 10th overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, has played for the Sacramento Monarchs and San Antonio Silver Stars. She is averaging 13.6 points and 10.3 rebounds this season for Antakya in Turkey. The Mystics also added free-agent post player Ashley Walker and re-signed forward Kerri Gardin . College basketball Mount's Burke on administrative leave Mount St. Mary's placed men's basketball coach Robert Burke on paid administrative leave Wednesday and named assistant Matt Henry the team's acting coach.

WNBA Mystics deal ex-Terp Coleman to Sparks The Washington Mystics acquired guard-forward Noelle Quinn from the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, general manager and coach Trudi Lacey announced, in exchange for guard-forward Marissa Coleman , a former Maryland star. The 6-foot Quinn has played five seasons in the WNBA, including the past three with Los Angeles. After a distinguished college career at UCLA, Quinn was the fourth overall selection in the 2007 draft by Minnesota, where she spent her first two seasons.

WNBA McCoughtry's 33 carry Dream past Mystics Angel McCoughtry (St. Frances) scored 33points to lead the visiting Atlanta Dream to an 86-79 victory over the Washington Mystics. Former Mystic Lindsey Harding added 14 points and Armintie Price chipped in 12 for the Dream, which scored 10 straight points down the stretch to turn a 78-76 deficit into an 86-78 lead. Sandora Irvin 's put-back off a miss by McCoughtry tied the game at 78 with just under two minutes left, and Price made a tough driving layup 30 seconds later to put Atlanta ahead for good.

Golf Hurley finishes second in Nationwide event Billy Hurley III , a former All-American at Navy, shot 8-under-par 64 Sunday and finished a career-best second in the Nationwide Chiquita Classic at TPC River's Bend in Maineville, Ohio. Russell Knox , a rookie from Scotland, earned his first tour win by posting a 6-under 66 for a 25-under 263, three strokes better than Hurley. Knox led by five strokes before Hurley got hot on the back nine, birdieing the par-five 11th and adding birdies at 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18. "My game has been close to firing on all cylinders for a while now," Hurley said.

Wizards Unseld Jr. expected to leave for Warriors Longtime Washington Wizards assistant Wes Unseld Jr. , son of the Bullets legend, is expected to leave the franchise to become an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Unseld Jr., who attended Loyola High, has been with the Bullets and Wizards since he graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1997. He worked his way up from advance scout and joined former coach Eddie Jordan 's staff as an assistant. Ed Tapscott retained Unseld Jr. when Jordan was dismissed and coach Flip Saunders also kept him when he took over in 2009.

Et cetera Peyser, Kimmel star in Team Warrior's win Long Island Lizards midfielder Stephen Peyser (Johns Hopkins) scored the game-winning goal with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter as Team Warrior rallied to edge Team Authority by a 21-20 margin in front of an announced 11,186 at the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game on Saturday night at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass. It marked the third straight year that the All-Star Game was decided by a single point.

If it's the middle of the winter, then it must be time for the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, which hits newsstands this week.The magazine began the rollout of the copy that sells more than any other single issue each year with last night's Internet unveiling of the supermodel who will grace the cover, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.And with the publication of the issue is sure to come the annual debate about whether SI is playing the role of sexual objectifier by displaying pictures of scantily clad women.

WASHINGTON -- It will be tempting for Washington Mystics fans to look at last night's 72-69 loss to the Houston Comets and see improvement. After all, the Mystics dropped their last two to Houston by a combined 70 points.But the Mystics will no doubt rue the fact that they had the two-time defending champions in a 10-point hole with less than 12 minutes to play and let them slip away before a boisterous MCI Center crowd of 19,458."We have to get over that edge that's been holding us back.

Et cetera Substitute Charlie Davies converted a penalty kick in the 85th minute to give visiting D.C. United a 1-1 Major League Soccer tie with Real Salt Lake. Davies drove into the right side of the penalty area against Real's Chris Wingert , and although there appeared to be little or no contact, Davies went down to win the penalty. Of Davies' five goals off the bench this season, four have helped United (4-5-5) earn either a win or a tie. Fabian Espindola scored on a penalty in the 38th minute to give Real (6-3-4)

The Washington Mystics spent most of Thursday night trying to atone for yet another slow start. Methodically, they trimmed the deficit from 17points to 12 to six to three. For less than a minute, they even took a one-point lead. But in the closing minutes of a 79-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun that dropped the Mystics to 1-3 on the season, the same deficiencies that forced them into a sizable early hole ensured they would not complete their comeback attempt. The Mystics have trailed at halftime in each of their four games thus far and have trailed by 12 points after the first quarter in each of their past two contests.