Five games last night, the most important in Washington, where Alana scored 18 in the fourth quarter: her team beat the Sun by one.

Nobody but Beard scored for DC in that comeback quarter, but if you're a Washington fan, who cares? Coco bothered Lindsay (5 assists but 6 turns), Teasley played through pain, and DC lowered its magic number to one.

The Sun missed out on a chance to clinch third. "Washington was beating us to those loose balls and missed shots," said Katie Douglas, who missed a buzzer-beating jumper.

More good news for the Mystics: New York lost in Chicago. The Sky came back hard after halftime, holding the visitors to a seven-point quarter. Chas Melvin had to head to the hospital after a scary poke in the eye: she's got scratches on her cornea but word is there's no long-term damage.

The Washington win means the Sky have no postseason; DC can clinch a playoff spot by beating New York tomorrow night. "Some people may see it like we're fighting for our lives," said coach Rollins, "but we're in the house -- we just have to keep the door closed."