YCN
07-08-2002, 10:54 PM
The Mystics tonight were not only without their top player, ascendant star Chamique Holdsclaw, they were without their starting point guard, Annie Burgess, who was held out for reasons I don't yet know.
And they were handicapped further by playing on the road against the #2 team in the WNBA Eastern Conference, the Orlando Miracle.
And this was the Mystics' 8th game on the road in their last 10. It's all downhill from here. By defeating the Miracle 63-51 on the road, the surprise contender from DC opened up a full 3 game lead on their nearest rival - now the Charlotte Sting, with only 14 games to play.
It's clear that the Mystics not only have had an improbable turnaround, but that they now are poised to join the two elite teams of the league to form a triumvirate of dominance along with the LA Sparks and Houston Comets.
The hero-of-the-day (and it seems that the Mystics are finding a different hero every day) was Coco Miller, who scored a game-high 17 points on 6-9 shooting from the field, 3-3 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line.
The jaw-dropping improvement of Coco Miller's contribution is only a reflection of a squad that is clearly playing with confidence and purpose, and a team that after being either a sorry also-ran or a doormat, has come together like almost no one could have imagined.
If you are like me, you love miracle underdog stories like this, regardless of the sport. I intend to continue to monitor this juggernaut-in-the-making, win or lose, for the rest of the WNBA season and the playoff.
They sure are making their fans proud. And another thing, the Mystics were absolutely in control of this game from well before the end of the first half until the end.
Murriel Page, Stacey Dales-Shuman and Vicky Bullet all made solid contributions to the win, with 13, 10 and 12 points respectively.
Those 3 players combined for 21 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals and 35 points in the game.
And they were handicapped further by playing on the road against the #2 team in the WNBA Eastern Conference, the Orlando Miracle.
And this was the Mystics' 8th game on the road in their last 10. It's all downhill from here. By defeating the Miracle 63-51 on the road, the surprise contender from DC opened up a full 3 game lead on their nearest rival - now the Charlotte Sting, with only 14 games to play.
It's clear that the Mystics not only have had an improbable turnaround, but that they now are poised to join the two elite teams of the league to form a triumvirate of dominance along with the LA Sparks and Houston Comets.
The hero-of-the-day (and it seems that the Mystics are finding a different hero every day) was Coco Miller, who scored a game-high 17 points on 6-9 shooting from the field, 3-3 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line.
The jaw-dropping improvement of Coco Miller's contribution is only a reflection of a squad that is clearly playing with confidence and purpose, and a team that after being either a sorry also-ran or a doormat, has come together like almost no one could have imagined.
If you are like me, you love miracle underdog stories like this, regardless of the sport. I intend to continue to monitor this juggernaut-in-the-making, win or lose, for the rest of the WNBA season and the playoff.
They sure are making their fans proud. And another thing, the Mystics were absolutely in control of this game from well before the end of the first half until the end.
Murriel Page, Stacey Dales-Shuman and Vicky Bullet all made solid contributions to the win, with 13, 10 and 12 points respectively.
Those 3 players combined for 21 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals and 35 points in the game.