WASHINGTON — — The Washington Mystics spent most of Thursday night trying to atone for yet another slow start. Methodically, they trimmed the deficit from 17points to 12 to six to three. For less than a minute, they even took a one-point lead.
But in the closing minutes of a 79-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun that dropped the Mystics to 1-3 on the season, the same deficiencies that forced them into a sizable early hole ensured they would not complete their comeback attempt.
The Mystics have trailed at halftime in each of their four games thus far and have trailed by 12 points after the first quarter in each of their past two contests.
"We just really need to pick it up," said forward Crystal Langhorne (Maryland), who finished with nine points, six rebounds and five turnovers. "We're just really sluggish in the beginning, and it's not looking good."
Washington trailed Chicago 25-13 after the first quarter on Saturday and lost, 84-77.
The Mystics executed a similar pattern Thursday.
"We can't fight our way back from 15, 10points [down]," Langhorne said. "You can't do that. It takes so much energy to always come back."