http://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/recap?gid=20050626009
AP - Jun 26, 5:50 pm EDT
More PhotosWASHINGTON (AP) -- Yolanda Griffith scored her 3,000th point and DeMya Walker added a season-high 24 to help the Sacramento Monarchs snap the Washington Mystics' three-game winning streak with a 62-57 victory Sunday.
Griffith became the eighth player in WNBA history to hit the 3,000-point milestone. She finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
``It's a great accomplishment and it will be a pleasant memory for me when I retire,'' Griffith said. ``Currently, the most important thing for me is to continue to win and getting the team to the WNBA championship.''
Walker shot 11-for-13 from the field and had seven rebounds for the Monarchs, who never trailed despite blowing an 18-point lead in the second half.
``When she gets the ball, she's hard to stop because she has so many counters that it's unbelievable,'' said Alana Beard, who led the Mystics with 15 points.
Washington's Chasity Melvin tied it at 52 with a 14-footer, then knotted it again at 54 on a putback with 2:02 left.
Griffith answered with a layup and Ticha Penicheiro's 3-pointer gave the Monarchs a 59-54 lead with a minute left.
Beard converted a three-point play to pull the Mystics within 59-57 with 45 seconds remaining, but Elaine Powell's jumper and a free throw by Walker secured the victory for Sacramento.
The Monarchs took a 26-8 lead by making 11 of their first 13 shots in the opening 8 minutes. Reserve guard Kara Lawson powered the early surge with two 3-pointers.
``We came out lacking intensity from the get-go and they used and abused us,'' Beard said. ``They did whatever they wanted to. We had no answer and showed no emotion. In the second half, we played with a lot of heart.''
Lawson added a jumper for a 40-29 halftime lead and finished with eight points.
The Mystics got within 43-37 on a steal and layup by Temeka Johnson with 15:18 remaining in the game. Johnson, who leads the league in assists, played only nine minutes in the first half.
Coco Miller, Johnson's backup, hit back-to-back shots and Delisha Milton-Jones followed with a 3-pointer that got Washington within 51-46 with 7:52 left. ``This was a game of two halves,'' Mystics coach Richie Adubato said. ``Everything has to go right for you to come back from a deficit like that -- and it almost did.''
AP - Jun 26, 5:50 pm EDT
More PhotosWASHINGTON (AP) -- Yolanda Griffith scored her 3,000th point and DeMya Walker added a season-high 24 to help the Sacramento Monarchs snap the Washington Mystics' three-game winning streak with a 62-57 victory Sunday.
Griffith became the eighth player in WNBA history to hit the 3,000-point milestone. She finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
``It's a great accomplishment and it will be a pleasant memory for me when I retire,'' Griffith said. ``Currently, the most important thing for me is to continue to win and getting the team to the WNBA championship.''
Walker shot 11-for-13 from the field and had seven rebounds for the Monarchs, who never trailed despite blowing an 18-point lead in the second half.
``When she gets the ball, she's hard to stop because she has so many counters that it's unbelievable,'' said Alana Beard, who led the Mystics with 15 points.
Washington's Chasity Melvin tied it at 52 with a 14-footer, then knotted it again at 54 on a putback with 2:02 left.
Griffith answered with a layup and Ticha Penicheiro's 3-pointer gave the Monarchs a 59-54 lead with a minute left.
Beard converted a three-point play to pull the Mystics within 59-57 with 45 seconds remaining, but Elaine Powell's jumper and a free throw by Walker secured the victory for Sacramento.
The Monarchs took a 26-8 lead by making 11 of their first 13 shots in the opening 8 minutes. Reserve guard Kara Lawson powered the early surge with two 3-pointers.
``We came out lacking intensity from the get-go and they used and abused us,'' Beard said. ``They did whatever they wanted to. We had no answer and showed no emotion. In the second half, we played with a lot of heart.''
Lawson added a jumper for a 40-29 halftime lead and finished with eight points.
The Mystics got within 43-37 on a steal and layup by Temeka Johnson with 15:18 remaining in the game. Johnson, who leads the league in assists, played only nine minutes in the first half.
Coco Miller, Johnson's backup, hit back-to-back shots and Delisha Milton-Jones followed with a 3-pointer that got Washington within 51-46 with 7:52 left. ``This was a game of two halves,'' Mystics coach Richie Adubato said. ``Everything has to go right for you to come back from a deficit like that -- and it almost did.''
