The BasketCases Have Decided to put about as much effort into this post as the Mystics put into their game tonight in Atlanta. In other words, not much.

If you watched the webcast, you're probably either asleep by now or busy trying to recapture those lost 2 and a half hours of your life. If you didn't see it, then here's what you need to know:

The Mystics lost 72-65, but the game wasn't really as close as the final score suggests. The Mystics had more turnovers than a well-stocked bakery, 28 in all. At times it appeared that the Mystics thought their teammates were wearing white, the way they threw the ball to Dream players over and over again. Atlanta scored 23 points off the Mystics' turnovers.

The Mystics hit 2 of 11 shots from beyond the arc . . . both by Matee Ajavon and both coming in the last 2 minutes, meaning that Washington was 0-9 from long range in the first 38 minutes. Prior to hitting those 3s, Matee was 0-6 from the field. Meanwhile, Mo Currie was 1-8 for the game, including missing all 3 of her attempts from outside the arc. And reserve Tasha Humphrey's only offensive contributions (in about 6 minutes of playing time) consisted of launching and missing 2 treys. The BasketCases are at a loss to explain how a "big" like Tasha seems incapable of taking a shot closer than 21 feet from the basket.

Once again, free throw shooting was hardly the Mystics' forte. 65% tonight.

The only area where the Mystics performed well was on the glass, outrebounding Atlanta 40-29. Unfortunately, many of those boards simply led to bad passes and turnovers. Time and again, the Mystics failed to capitalize.

Three Mystics finished in double figures, Alana, Lindsey and Lang (16, 11 & 10 points, respectively). Lindsey was the only Mystics player on the floor who really seemed to bring some energy to tonight's game. But it wasn't contagious. This was an ugly, turnover and foul-ridden game, featuring plenty of poor shooting. In other words, it was one the team -- and their fans -- would like to forget.

In other games, Sacto got a desperately needed win, breaking a 6-game losing streak with a 74-68 victory in Minnesota.

"One of our greatest attributes is our perseverance,'' Sacramento coach Jenny Boucek said. "Being able to respond well to adversity, challenges, staying in the moment and just fighting, fighting, fighting. That's hard to do when you've lost as many as we have already.''

Connecticut's three-game wining streak came to an ugly end at the hands of the still surging Fever, who got their 7th straight victory, 87-53.

"Defend, defend and defend, and then if you defend, you're going to have opportunities to score off your defense,'' said Dunn, who was unaware that the win streak was a team high.

"I don't keep up with records,'' she said. "I didn't know that. Whoop-de-doo. Way to go. The only thing that matters is the first quarter of the next game.''

No surprise that today I find myself mighty fond of the Detroit Shock.

In a game with plenty of the requisite chippiness, the Libs' threes fell (Loree Moore!!?), Christon played like the All-Star she should be and (oh, oh) JMac wore a back pad during her bench time in the second half. The Shock whined at the refs, Nolan looked gimpy and Zeallous' ability to get to the free throw line is making me think I may have been right in my draft wishes.

But, hey, the Lib looked as good as they've looked all season -- and we beat Detroit 80-64. Always a good way to start a holiday weekend.

Kobe and Artest: The 'Lost' Trash Talk from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

The Lakers enlivened their defense and their personality with the acquisition of Ron Artest. The Rockets decided to take a chance on the hot-tempered and baggage-toting Trevor Ariza. [SKEETS]

I feel the profound need for some backstory: Atlanta waives Teasley and signs Latta.

Truly disappointing and distressing news out of Arizona: it involves alcohol, a car and Diana Taurasi.

Blimey, mate!

The US defeats Britain, 93-59.

"I was pleased. I thought we really set the tone with our defense," said USA and Arizona State University head coach Charli Turner Thorne. "We knew they could shoot it well and they were going to try to pull our posts out, spread us out. I think we handled it well and created a lot of offense off of our defense. We had some lulls. It's always hard when you go up that big to stay focused. All in all, it was a great team effort."

That are the top 10 Stanford teams?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Cleveland Cavaliers debuted Shaquille O’Neal today and the Cleveland Clinics training facility in Independence, Ohio. Shaq made it known many times during the … [visit site to read more]

The Los Angeles Lakers are close to reaching an agreement with Houston forward Ron Artest, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Artest, an unrestricted free agent, is expected to agree to terms Thursday after spending the day meeting with Lakers executives.

In a text … [visit site to read more]

Some may remember that, a couple of months ago I got a tad cranky with Dave Zirin.

Well, he may have gotten his revenge: he interviewed me for his XM show, The Edge of Sports Radio. It was actually a pre-tape of his usually live Friday show 'cause he's off to talk to people in San Francisco.

We talked the Candace/ESPN article, the W and economics and other stuff. Not sure how XM works -- which may be just as well. No idea if I sound like an idiot (meaning, to be clear, more of an idiot than usual), but I appreciated Dave giving women's sports air space.

Now, if XM would just pick up Shootaround with Beth and Debbie....

Anyone who sits within earshot of me at the Garden (yes, I know how to bellow) knows you can make your opinion known without being a total tool. Maybe the Horned Frogs' band should come visit.

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee has reprimanded for a violation of tournament sportsmanship policy during the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.

The committee determined that members of the Texas Christian band made disparaging and inappropriate comments to both the game officials and student-athletes of a participating team during the first- and second-round games in Lubbock

Rubio, Spain's Pistola Pedro, "will remain in Spain to play for his DKV Joventut basketball team for the remaining two years of his contract rather than try to move to the NBA this season, El Periodico reported today." [Pioneer Press]

Thanks to SportsPageMagazine.com ("SPM"), the BasketCases are pleased to report that Marissa Coleman has been spotted (at least momentarily) walking without crutches!

The photo above was taken by SPM photographer Carmen Santiago on Tuesday at the conclusion of the Mystics' win over the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Also, yesterday on the RebKell message board, "beeball" posted that his/her brother spotted ". . . a Mystics player not in uniform shooting the lights out prior to the game while both teams [we]re in the locker room for pregame." The message board consensus was that this player had to have been Marissa. And, of course, we all know that whatever we read on message boards is always 100% correct! LOL!

This morning, SPM also posted a short Q&A from an interview with Marissa in Chicago. Riss told writer Jim Niendorff that "Hopefully I won't have to be out the entire 4-6 weeks. " We hope so too. You can find the link to the full SPM feature here.

Photo Credit: SportsPageMagazine.com

No disrespect intended to Candace Parker and all the joys and challenges of being a working mom, but jeez, Karen Crouse, how well do you know the history of the WNBA?

There are a dozen mothers playing in the league, but Parker, the reigning W.N.B.A. rookie of the year and most valuable player, is a trailblazer in one respect. Unlike Leslie and Thompson, she did not put motherhood on hold until after she had ushered her professional basketball career into its second decade.

Let's start naming W players who "did not put motherhood on hold," like, say, Sheryl Swoopes?

Swoopes was the first player chosen by the WNBA, which assigned her to the Houston Rockets [WHB note: well, we all make mistakes, don't we] as play began in June, 1997. Then along came the baby. She gave birth to Jordan, named after Michael Jordan, on June 27. About six weeks later, on August 7, Swoopes took the court in her WNBA debut, playing about five minutes in a 74-70 victory by the host Comets over the Phoenix Mercury. "I was very nervous for the first game after being out of competitive basketball for a year," the Associated Press quoted Swoopes. "There's a big difference in pickup ball and getting out here. It's going to take awhile to get the butterflies out."

Swoopes received a warm applause from the crowd. At courtside, some fans hovered around the baby, held by her husband, former football player Eric Jackson (the two divorced in 2000). "Upon learning she was unexpectedly pregnant, her biggest fear was telling her agent and other WNBA associates about her condition," All wrote in Pregnancy Today. "She kept her special secret throughout the first trimester 'in case something happened,' and then shared the news. 'I was nervous about what everyone would think, but they were all very supportive,' she says."

While I appreciate the fact that the NYTimes' is giving a W player some ink space, there's something about the tone of this piece that sets my teeth on edge in so many different ways, I'm having trouble sorting them out.

Suzy says, "Zdravo !" via Twitter:

Sitting in Belgrade Arena in Serbia waiting for opening ceremonies of the World University Games to start. 10,000 athletes- mini olympics!

ZUT! Alors!

USA 115, la France, 30.

Ne forget pas, Coach Charli fait le blogging.

Just a question to add to Kathy's news about the Fever/Kroger partnership -- The article mentions the Fever are losing money. How about asking how much money the men losing?

Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Jim Morris said the franchise has shielded fans from the tax by paying about $2 million a year in admission taxes.

"We've always eaten it," Morris said. "I think we're going to have to take another look going forward. I understand the rationale for increasing the tax. For a franchise already losing money, it will be difficult to pay it."

Too Much Excitement!

We were expecting a tough and exciting game this evening. But frankly, we could've done with a little less last-second-drama!

Thank goodness for Mystics fans, though, all the nail-biting and breath-holding was worth it as Washington ended the Silver Stars' 3-game home win streak tonight, 84-82, and ended their own 2-game losing skid. This was a tense game that literally came down to the final seconds and the final possession.

The game began as a relatively sloppy affair, with both teams committing 7 turnovers in the first quarter. San Antonio was up 19-15 at the end of that period. But in the second 10 minutes, the Mystics took much better care of the basketball (only a single TO in that quarter) and battled back to take a 39-33 lead into the locker room at halftime.

After the break, the Mystics continued to build on their lead and were up by 12 points with about 3 minutes left in the third. But more turnovers and missed opportunities by Washington allowed San Antonio to trim the lead to 3 points by the end of that period. To make matters worse, Alana Beard was called for her 5th foul with 1.2 seconds left in the quarter. Uh-oh!

Despite Alana's troubles, this Mystics team -- as they've demonstrated several times already this season -- found a way to regroup and stay in the game. In the final period, the Mystics slowly began adding to their lead. But the game was hardly over. Anyone who follows the WNBA knows that Becky Hammon is one of the (if not the) most prolific 4th period scorers in the League. Teams can contain her for 30 minutes, but look out in that final 10! And sure enough, Becky exploded, scoring 11 (of her 18) points in the final period, including a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the game that tied the score at 82. Uh-oh!

With 8.4 seconds remaining and in possession of the ball, the Mystics called a time out. While Coach Plank and her players strategized, we bit our nails. When play resumed we held our breath, waiting for the San Antonio announcer to describe the final seconds of regulation. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 . . . at last, with 1.9 seconds left, Alana Beard shoots and scores! AB played the last 8-1/2 minutes with 5 fouls . . . and was there at the end with the ball in her hands when we needed her most. Of course, the excitement didn't end there. The Silver Stars still had time for one more shot, but fortunately Belinda Snell missed her attempt at a 3, and the Mystics held on for the win. WHEW!!!

The Mystics' backcourt was instrumental in tonight's victory. AB and Lindsey Harding each had 19 points (sharing the team high), while Matee Ajavon and Crystal Langhorne came off the bench and added 15 and 13 points, respectively. As for our starting post players, Nakia Sanford had a somewhat better outing, finishing with 8 points. But Chas continued to struggle, scoring only 1 point in the game, a free throw with 4:34 left in the final period. On a very positive note, though, the Mystics outrebounded San Antonio, despite the Silver Stars' significant height advantage.

We really wish we could have seen this game, particularly the thrilling fourth quarter. It's just not as much fun to listen to an audio broadcast, especially when the announcers are fairly dull. Whatever happened to Frank Hanrahan, who was supposed to be broadcasting for the Mystics? The only audio feed on WNBA Live Access was provided by the San Antonio announcers. We have to give them credit, though, for not being homers.

This was an important road victory for the Mystics, still playing without the injured Marissa Coleman, and it should provide some momentum as the team finishes out the second half of their road trip. Ironically, Washington's next two opponents, the Dream and the Lynx, battled each other tonight in a nationally televised (ESPN2) display of offensive firepower that Minny won, 92-85. The Mystics will definitely need to bring all of their defensive skills to both of these next two games.

But in the meantime, congratulations to the Mystics on tonight's gritty, tough -- and successful -- performance!

Good news for the Fever (in addition to their current 6 game winning streak). They have a new official sponsor with Kroger.

Today the .com is all Vols: Claw, Catch and Candace.

Good news for Bloggin' Coach Binford:

Citing teams that perform well on the court and in the classroom, Montana State University has agreed to three-year contract extensions for men's basketball coach Brad Huse and women's basketball coach Tricia Binford

OT, but always a good read: From Pat Griffin, Girls, Grunts and Ground Strokes OR Ladies, Loud Noises and Lobs (Take Your Pick)

I do get the point that these noises, by men and women, could be distracting for opponents. If I close my eyes while watching Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams play a match, I could mistake it for a remake of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. However, it is equally disconcerting to hear the men grunting like they seriously need a dose of Dulcolax.

Seattle Storm

Top Shooting

Floor%: Lauren Jackson (63%), Swin Cash (60%), Tanisha Wright (50%)
eFG%: Swin Cash (71%), Lauren Jackson (67%), Sue Bird (60%), Janell Burse (50%)
TS%: Swin Cash (100%), Sue Bird (85%), Lauren Jackson (70%), Camille Little (50%)

Top Ratings

Offensive Rating: Lauren Jackson (140.98), Swin Cash (123.40), Tanisha Wright (101.97)
Individual Rating: Lauren Jackson (124.87), Swin Cash (119.40)

Plus Minus

Sue Bird +9
Lauren Jackson +6
Ashley Robinson +3
Ashley Walker +1
Camille Little 0
Shannon Johnson -3
Katie Gearlds -8
Janell Burse -9
Tanisha Wright -11

Top Performing Lineups

Bird-Gearlds-Cash-Little-Jackson +8
Bird-Wright-Cash-Jackson-Burse +4

Chicago Sky

Top Shooting

Floor%: Katie Douglas (63%), Khadijah Wittington (60%), Tammy Sutton-Brown (56%), Ebony Hoffman (54%)
eFG%: Khadijah Wittington (67%), Katie Douglas (63%), Tammy Sutton-Brown (50%)
TS%: Katie Douglas (80%), Khadijah Wittington (67%), Ebony Hoffman (60%)

Top Ratings

Offensive Rating: Katie Douglas (150.28), Khadijah Wittington (119.73), Ebony Hoffman (18.36), Tammy Sutton-Brown (117.03)
Individual Rating: Katie Douglas (122.74), Khadijah Wittington (120.20)

Plus Minus
Tammy Sutton-Brown +17
Ebony Hoffman +11
Tully Bevilaqua +7
Yolanda Griffith +3
Katie Douglas +2
Tameka Dixon -2
Briann January -3
Khadijah Wittington -3
Christina Wirth +5

Top Performing Lineups

Bevilaqua-Douglas-Catchings-Sutton^Brown-Hoffman +13
January-Dixon-Douglas-Sutton^Brown-Hoffman +5
White-Douglas-Catchings-Sutton^Brown-Hoffman +4

Perhaps inspired by the WHB *hears Mechelle snort milk through her nose* Mechelle writes about the Lynx:

There's no such thing as an ACL injury you don't cringe over, but Augustus' blown knee seemed especially unfair. The Lynx, who had a coaching change just days before the season began, had gotten off to a strong start under Jennifer Gillom. It appeared that maybe all the bad mojo that this franchise has endured was finally lifting.

But, no, about the time we were all saying, "Check out the Lynx," Augustus -- who was averaging 21.0 ppg -- hit the floor. It's not as if Minnesota (or any other team, for that matter) has an Augustus substitute on its bench. Her absence hurts the whole league.

However … Minnesota hasn't collapsed. And so that's now the story line for this game: Can Gillom keep this team on track even without one of the world's best players?

Tina Thompson -- Warrior Princess and... mentor.

The Freep's Perry Farrell catches up with Alex Chambers’ three-week, 13-city trek around the WNBA.

The journey is in memory of his friend Cyndee Luque, who died of breast cancer last April. When Luque died: “That’s when it really hit me,’’ said Chambers, a Phoenix resident and an avid fan of the Mercury.

“The WNBA does a great job of breast cancer awareness and this is my way of honoring Cyndee and the work the WNBA is doing. The league has been a tremendous supporter of breast cancer awareness and I want to do my part.

“They’ve been great as far as helping me get with personnel in the front offices of the teams I will be visiting so I just don’t have to walk in as a stranger. I got to set near the team bench and I got a chance to meet Rick Mahorn.’’

One thing that is going well for the Lib is their creative side. Their "Get out the All-Star Vote" video is a hysterical piece de resistance (hint, hint to Youtubists).

And, in honor of Michael Jackson, they brought back last year's "Thriller."

The Sun waive Turner and welcome a leading candidate for the All-Name Team.

The Miami News takes note of Seattle coach Brian Agler's roots:

Brian Agler only spent four seasons at Northeastern A&M, but it got him ready for what lay ahead for him professionally.

The former Lady Norse basketball coach is in his second year as head coach and director of player personnel of the WNBA Seattle Storm.

Sorry about the tease, but it's a pay-to-view site.

That's four-straight for the Sky at home.

"Winning at home is one of our goals, just to give our fans a show," Sky center Sylvia Fowles said.

Ice Dupree had 23, Big Syl had a double-double and Perkins almost echoed her with 14pts and 8 steals as Chicago topped Washington 68-63.

As for Atlanta, their trip to the casino became a nightmare - starting with travel delays and ending with the fact that shooting 47% didn't, somehow, translate into a win.

That's what happens when you limit your possessions through turnovers (22) and Asjha Jones goes off for a season high 24 points and 12 rebounds.

"We haven't played in a week and the last time we played them we were awful,'' Jones said, alluding to a five-point loss to the Dream two weeks earlier. "I was ready to play.

Is there any question that rookie coach Grandmama Gillom leads the (waaaay early) race for Coach of the Year?

Team gets off to a great start, Augustus is playing like a woman possessed, then she goes down with an ACL. The Lynx stagger through their next two games, then get on the road to recovery.

Last night they spanked the Phoenix Mercury, 109-80, behind Mrs. a-Whi-iggins (anyone out there old enough to remember the Carol Burnett show?) and Roneeka Hodges' 22 points.

Nice to see close to 6,000 at the Target Center. The Lynx, and the league, needs this. (Ditto with Washington, Chicago and those stoopid Fevers.)

Oh, and good to hear from Seimone.

Throwing One Away.

When a team heads out on a 4-game roadtrip, it's important to win the games that are winnable. Unfortunately, the Mystics did not do that in Chicago tonight, losing to the Sky, 63-68. There's no way to sugarcoat this, and we mean no disrespect to Chicago -- but Washington turned in a subpar performance and threw away a winnable game.

Although the Mystics held onto a small lead for most of the game, they were not playing well. They turned the ball over repeatedly (23 times by game's end), meanwhile taking very little advantage of Chicago's 18 turnovers. Once again the Mystics shot terribly from the free throw line (55.6%). And our starting post players, Chas and Nakia, combined for a total of 6 points (no, that's not a typo), while our starting SF, Mo Currie, had all of 9 points on 4 of 12 shooting (and never once got to the line). A whopping total of 15 points from three of the starters is simply not enough to win ballgames. If you wonder how a team (Chicago) can score only 26 points in the entire first half and still be leading going into the break, there's your answer! The truth is, the Sky didn't look particularly sharp tonight, but the Mystics looked even duller.

Alana Beard finished with 14 points, a below average night for her. Kristen Mann made a brief debut as a Mystic, taking and missing a three point shot. Once again, Crystal Langhorne came off the bench to score in double figures, notching 12 points this evening (plus 8 boards). And Lindsey Harding had a breakout game offensively, putting up a team-high 15 points (along with 6 assists and 6 rebounds).

As painful as the game was to watch, the audio feed from the UIC Pavilion was even worse, sounding as though it were coming through tin cans and a string. Then, for good measure, during the entire third period, someone was doing bird calls next to the announcer. Tweet, tweet, chirp, chirp, tweet, chirp. This torture could easily replace water boarding.

Let's hope the Mystics, who are now 4-3 and on a 2-game losing streak, can find a way to re-group in time for their game on Tuesday in San Antonio. It will take a much better effort down in Alamo country than what we saw tonight if Washington is going to reverse direction.

Oh Happy Day!

Expect more cuts today and tomorrow, including, quite possibly, a "name" big from the Liberty.*

Sheila Johnson (Owner, President and #1 fan!), COO Greg Bibb, GM Angela Taylor, Head Coach Julie Plank and her coaching staff, all the ticket reps and the rest of the office staff . . . and the players hosted an open house this evening for season ticketholders in the Mystics' offices at the Verizon Center. Everyone was on hand and accessible, from Dr. J on down. We were free to wander through the offices, enjoy good food and drink, and best of all, of course, chat with the players and staff. The BasketCases have been to most of the Mystics' fan events over the years, and we have to say that this was one of the most enjoyable. It was informal, fun, and friendly, and the excitement about the new season was palpable.

This evening, the Mystics held their annual "Jam Session," part of the VIP/Courtside season ticketholder package. This year's event was bowling night with the team at "300 Shady" located in Outer Mongolia Gaithersburg, Maryland. It's an insane drive out there during D.C. rush hour, but it was well worth it to spend a couple of relaxed, fun hours with the players, coaches and all the great front office staff. If you think WNBA players are competitive on the basketball court, you should see some of them at the bowling alley!

At the conclusion of the evening, autographed bowling pins were awarded to the 5 highest scoring fans. "Supe," who arrived with his own bowling ball and shoes (a ringer!), was the top scorer, with a whopping 201. Wow . . . way to go, Supe!

* * * * * * * *

Update: Marissa Coleman, to no one's surprise, was not at the bowling alley tonight. She was at home, dutifully following her rehab instructions. More about her injury here and here.

Photo Credits: DC BasketCases

Tonight's game between the Mystics and the Sky was supposed to be the first time that former Maryland teammates Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver would face off as opponents. Unfortunately, Marissa's injury spoiled those plans. But the nearly 12,000 in attendance (including more than 150 Maryland Rebounders and the entire Maryland coaching staff) were still treated to an incredibly exciting game.

The Mystics took the early lead -- fueled largely by Alana Beard -- but Chicago gradually closed the gap. The teams kept things very close as halftime approached. But then, about a minute and a half before the break, with the score tied at 29, the Sky went on a 10-0 run. It happened so fast, the Mystics (and their fans) looked shocked. Before they knew what had hit them, the Mystics were down by double digits heading into the locker room.

It's nights like these when the coaching staff really earns their paychecks. And did they ever! The Mystics were going to need to play catchup and the players needed to believe they could turn the game around. We don't know what was said in the locker room, but whatever it was, it worked!

The Mystics opened the second half more aggressive offensively and defensively and began steadily whittling away at the Sky's lead. Several players were instrumental in the turnaround. First and foremost was Alana Beard, who battled intensely and led her teammates on both ends of the floor. Alana not only led all scorers with 31 points, but played relentless defense (including 3 steals) . . . just as critical. Chasity Melvin's early baskets in the third quarter, her defensive play, and her rebounding helped ignite the second-half rally. (Chas finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds.) And Matee Ajavon's harassment of the Sky's ball handlers and her own lightning speed down the court also helped to turn the game in the Mystics' favor. Crystal Langhorne turned in another excellent performance (in both halves) coming off the bench, with 14 points (including a near perfect 6 of 7 from the free throw line), 6 rebounds and two steals. Alana led the charge, her teammates followed, and together the Mystics emerged with the win, 81-72.

Kristi Toliver was the other Terp coming off the bench tonight, putting up 13 points for the Sky in 15 minutes of play. The BasketCases were happy to see KT have a good outing, but even happier about the outcome of the game.

4-1! A pretty good start to a season.

Photo credits: DC BasketCases