The Mystics lost to the Dream by a final of 73-63. The Mystics were plagued by turnovers (21) which in turn let the fast-running Dream score too often in transition. Crystal Langhorne led the team with 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting, and Ivory Latta posted 14 points coupled with seven assists.
Washington posted a shooting percentage of 39.1%, making 27 of 69 shots. Atlanta also made 27 of 69 shots, but went to the free throw line twice as often as the Mystics.
Emma Meesseman scored her first points of her WNBA career in the second quarter on a putback, and finished the game with eight points and six boards in 17 minutes off the bench. Her 4 of 6 shooting was an important and efficient piece in Coach Thibaults system today.
Emma was a bright spot, she got her bearings, Thibault said. Its a growing process.
Kia Vaughn made a solid contribution in 20 minutes of play, with eight points and a team-high six rebounds.
The Dream were led by Angel McCoughtry, who had 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals, as well as Erika de Souza, who shot 7 for 11 for 14 points.
Atlanta had the lead for the majority of the game, taking a 13 point advantage into halftime and stretching it to 17 in the middle of the third quarter. Washington clawed its way back, however, going on a 16-3 run to cut the Dream lead down to 48-44. The comeback was short-lived, as this was as close as the Mystics would come before the final buzzer.
The Mystics fall to 1-1 overall, and 0-1 at home. Their next game will be on Friday, June 7th against the Connecticut Sun in Connecticut.
The team will play back-to-back nights, coming home to the Verizon Center on Saturday, June 8th for a game against the Minnesota Lynx. Tipoff will be at 7:00 p.m., and the game will be televised on MonumentalNetwork.com.