Washington Mystics

SEATTLE - Sue Bird scored on a driving layup with two seconds left in overtime last night, giving the Seattle Storm an 85-83 victory over the Washington Mystics. A jump shot by the Storm's Betty Lennox with 53 seconds to go in the fourth quarter tied the score at 75 and sent the game into the extra period. Lauren Jackson poured in 33 points for Seattle. Comets 72, Sun 56 HOUSTON - Tina Thompson scored 18 points to lead Houston past Connecticut, giving the Comets a two-game winning streak for the first time in more than a month.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Yolanda Griffith and Nicole Powell scored 17 points each as the Sacramento Monarchs pulled away in the second half and beat the Washington Mystics, 73-59, last night. The Monarchs, leading the Western Conference with a 13-5 record, improved to 7-1 at home. Alana Beard scored 15 points and Charlotte Smith-Taylor 13 for the Mystics (9-10). Beard managed just five in the second half, with Smith-Taylor going scoreless. Powell started a 13-2 run with a three-pointer that put Sacramento ahead by 49-44 with 12 minutes, 37 seconds left.

With Ticha Penicheiro spraining her ankle and Yolanda Griffith in foul trouble, Ruthie Bolton-Holifield went to work. Bolton-Holifield matched her own franchise record with 34 points as the visiting Sacramento Monarchs beat the Washington Mystics, 79-74, last night. Bolton-Holifield, who sang the national anthem in a duet with Washington's Nikki McCray, scored 20 of her team's last 29 points. Chamique Holdsclaw had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Mystics (2-8)

Dawn Staley scored 13 points as the visiting Charlotte Sting clinched a playoff berth with a 65-60 victory over the Washington Mystics last night. Charlotte extended its winning streak to four games and joined Cleveland, New York and Miami as playoff qualifiers in the Eastern Conference. The Sting, which started the season 1-10, won for the 14th time in 18 games. Washington had its three-game home winning streak snapped and was eliminated from playoff contention. Chamique Holdsclaw scored 17 points and Vicky Bullett added 14 for the Mystics.

Nikki McCray scored 15 of her game-high 23 points in the first half yesterday as the Washington Mystics beat the visiting Charlotte Sting, 55-42. The Mystics won consecutive games for just the third time this season, snapped Charlotte's two-game winning streak and dealt the Sting its third straight road loss. Chamique Holdsclaw shot 4-for-12 and finished with eight points and 12 rebounds for Washington. Andrea Stinson led the Sting with 10 points. Temple women's basketball coach Dawn Staley, who hurt a knee with just over 2 minutes left, scored seven points of 3-for-14 shooting.

Chamique Holdsclaw had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five steals last night to lead the Washington Mystics to the first playoff victory in franchise history, a 74-62 win over the visiting Charlotte Sting in Game 1 of the WNBA's Eastern Conference semifinals. Holdsclaw, who led the league in scoring and rebounding, also had a key steal with 2 minutes remaining. The Mystics never lost the lead after going ahead, 7-5, in the first 4 minutes of the game. Andrea Stinson scored 16 points to lead the Sting, which will host Game 2 of the best-of-three series tomorrow.

Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil was not used to coming off the bench. But the change worked. Davis-Wrightstil, coming off the bench for the first time this season, scored 19 of her 23 points over the final 12:18 as the visiting Phoenix Mercury overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to beat Washington, 79-76, last night. Michele Timms scored seven of her 11 points in the final minute, including a three-pointer with 54 seconds left that gave the Mercury the lead for good. Nikki McCray led Washington (1-5)

Dawn Staley's dash into the dressing room last night said it all after the Charlotte Sting beat the Washington Mystics, 65-60, in front of an MCI Center crowd of 13,619. "We're in the playoffs," Staley shouted as the Sting became the final Eastern Conference team to qualify for the WNBA postseason. The victory capped a remarkable turnaround from a 1-10 start. Since then, Charlotte has gone 14-4. It will finish the regular season against Cleveland, New York and Miami - the other three playoff teams in the East.

Chamique Holdsclaw had 18 points and 15 rebounds yesterday to lead the Washington Mystics to a 63-45 victory over the visiting Cleveland Rockers. The Mystics (9-2) played without starters Annie Burgess (lower back strain) and Stacy Dales-Schuman (stomach virus). "We did not know that we were going to be faced with what we were faced with until we walked in the door today," Mystics coach Marianne Stanley said. "I was happy that we responded the way we did. That's the sign of a really good team.

Penny Taylor scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half as the visiting Cleveland Rockers beat the New York Liberty for the second time in a week with a 67-58 win last night. Taylor, who broke out of a slump Thursday with 24 points in a win over Sacramento, hit four three-pointers as the Rockers buried the Liberty by hitting eight of 10 from beyond the arc. Merlakia Jones scored 13 points for the Rockers. Tari Phillips scored 18 for the Liberty despite spraining her left ankle midway through the second half.

A lanky young man in a white T-shirt and jeans walked past Crystal Langhorne yesterday as she stood outside the Washington Mystics' locker room at the Verizon Center. Kevin Durant, a Texas Rangers hat completing the outfit, touched Langhorne's shoulder in acknowledgment. Langhorne, talking about how she could earn more playing time, paused and nodded hello. It was a subtle exchange. Durant, the NBA rookie of the year for the Seattle SuperSonics this season, continued through the hallway.

Nolan Richardson said he is talking with Arkansas State officials about the school's basketball coaching vacancy. Richardson, 66, has been out of college coaching since being fired by Arkansas in 2002. He coached the Razorbacks to the national championship in 1994. The ASU job has been open since Dickey Nutt resigned two weeks ago. Arkansas State spokesman Jerry Scott said the athletic department had no comment on potential candidates. Chad Kolarik and Barry Goers have been nominated for the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Yolanda Griffith and Nicole Powell scored 17 points each as the Sacramento Monarchs pulled away in the second half and beat the Washington Mystics, 73-59, last night. The Monarchs, leading the Western Conference with a 13-5 record, improved to 7-1 at home. Alana Beard scored 15 points and Charlotte Smith-Taylor 13 for the Mystics (9-10). Beard managed just five in the second half, with Smith-Taylor going scoreless. Powell started a 13-2 run with a three-pointer that put Sacramento ahead by 49-44 with 12 minutes, 37 seconds left.

The most animated person not in uniform at the WNBA All-Star Game over the weekend at the Mohegan Sun Arena was Donna Orender, the league's new president. Orender took office in April. Unlike her predecessor, Val Ackerman, who usually stayed in one place to greet invited guests at the president's reception, the former PGA Tour executive was all over the room making introductions Friday night in Michael Jordan's sports restaurant. Orender also was seen greeting fans at the skills competition and jam sessions, and she worked her way to several other parties in the casino-entertainment complex.

Oklahoma State safety Vernon Grant was killed in a car accident in Dallas, coach Mike Gundy said yesterday. The 22-year-old Grant died Monday night after his car was broadsided while he attempted to cross traffic onto an interstate ramp, said Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez, a Dallas police spokeswoman said. Grant, of Duncanville, Texas, died later at a hospital. Hernandez said the other driver had minor injuries. Alcohol or drugs weren't involved in the accident, Hernandez said.

SEATTLE - Sue Bird scored on a driving layup with two seconds left in overtime last night, giving the Seattle Storm an 85-83 victory over the Washington Mystics. A jump shot by the Storm's Betty Lennox with 53 seconds to go in the fourth quarter tied the score at 75 and sent the game into the extra period. Lauren Jackson poured in 33 points for Seattle. Comets 72, Sun 56 HOUSTON - Tina Thompson scored 18 points to lead Houston past Connecticut, giving the Comets a two-game winning streak for the first time in more than a month.

Villanova senior Trish Juhline added to the Wildcats' notable season yesterday by becoming the first player in the program's history to be drafted by the WNBA. The Cardinal O'Hara graduate was taken in the third round by the Washington Mystics, the Eastern Conference runner-up last season, and was the 32d choice overall in the three-round draft. Mississippi State senior LaToya Thomas was taken by the Cleveland Rockers as the overall No. 1 pick, while Vanderbilt senior Chantelle Anderson, taken by the Sacramento Monarchs, was the No. 2 choice.

Chamique Holdsclaw had 26 points, 13 rebounds and five steals last night to lead the Washington Mystics to the first playoff victory in franchise history, a 74-62 win over the visiting Charlotte Sting in Game 1 of the WNBA's Eastern Conference semifinals. Holdsclaw, who led the league in scoring and rebounding, also had a key steal with 2 minutes remaining. The Mystics never lost the lead after going ahead, 7-5, in the first 4 minutes of the game. Andrea Stinson scored 16 points to lead the Sting, which will host Game 2 of the best-of-three series tomorrow.

Tennis has brought us the sister rivalry of Venus and Serena Williams. When the WNBA playoffs open tonight, the six-year-old women's professional basketball league run by the NBA will feature a twin-sister competition between Kelly and Coco Miller, who previously starred at the University of Georgia. Born in Rochester, Minn., the two were inseparable until last season's WNBA draft. Kelly was taken in the first round by the Charlotte Sting and Coco was picked in the same round by the Washington Mystics.

Chamique Holdsclaw is returning to form at the perfect time for the Washington Mystics. Holdsclaw had 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Mystics to a 60-54 victory over host Cleveland last night - showing no effects of a sprained left ankle that caused her to miss eight games in July. "My body is aching because this is my first year playing the post and doing all that banging inside," Holdsclaw said. "I want to play a few more meaningful games in the playoffs, though. " Holdsclaw, who also missed a game on Aug. 4 with a mildly sprained right ankle, scored 14 points in the second half.