the chronicle
september 14, 2009
AERIAL ASSAULT
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sportswrap
MEN’S SOCCER: DUKE GETS ACC ROAD WIN • ONLINE: PHOTO SLIDESHOWS FROM THE WEEKEND
2 | MonDAY, SePteMBer 14, 2009
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MEn’s sOCCEr
Tweed-Kent’s first goal lifts Duke to ACC upset
AnGie Yu (leFT), Glen GuTTerson (riGhT) /ChroniCle File PhoTos
Freshman ryan Finley (left) took the initial shot on Duke’s overtime score in Friday’s 1-0 win over Virginia at Klöckner stadium. sophomore Daniel tweed-Kent (right) capitalized on a loose ball to slot home the winning goal. by Dan Ahrens The chronicle
Following three relatively easy wins to start the season, Duke knew the going would get much tougher when it traveled to face no. 16 Virginia (2-1, 0-1 in the Acc) Friday night. The cavaliers were faster, more DUKE 1 talented and more experienced than any team the no. 19 Blue Devils had 0 faced—not to mention the fact that UVA they would be supported by nearly 5,000 fans at Virginia’s Klöckner Stadium. When the Blue Devils (4-0, 1-0)) found the energy for a game-winning goal after 101 grueling minutes, however, they showed their preparation had made them tough enough to answer the call and complete the 1-0 double-overtime upset. “it means a great deal to us because it justifies all the hard work the players put in last spring,” head coach John Kerr said. “To go into overtime, even the second overtime at full strength and with a willingness to go forward to get numbers into the box is a tribute to what this team has done to keep its fitness level at a high rate.” From the outset, Virginia showed that the Blue Devils
would need every bit of that offseason conditioning. The cavaliers controlled possession for most of the game, and the Duke defense found itself constantly chasing and scrambling to keep the scoreboard clean. Virginia outshot the Blue Devils 14-8, and earned five corner kicks to Duke’s four. Freshman goalie James Belshaw and the four Duke defenders were up to the task, however, and held the cavaliers scoreless for all 101 minutes of play. “James is really taking his game to another level,” Kerr said. “his communication and presence are very comfortable for our team. his communication has allowed the back four to feel very solid.” The starting defensive combination of christian ibeagha, Andrew Wenger, nik Sih and Matt Thomas needed to be solid against an extremely skilled Virginia attack. The cavalier offense returned 92 percent of its scoring from a year ago and features sophomore Tony Tchani—one of 38 finalists for the Missouri Athletic club’s hermann Trophy, awarded to the college game’s best player each year. The Blue Devil back line was put to the test the most in the last 15 minutes of regulation, when Belshaw was forced to make two clutch saves and endure nearly relentless pres-
sure just to force overtime. “[The cavaliers] had a pretty good portion of the possession throughout the game,” Kerr said. “We had to chase the game a bit to make sure we were evened up with them to get to o.T.” in the second overtime period, christopher TweedKent worked the ball into the box to freshman ryan Finley. Finley turned and fired a shot only to have it blocked by a Virginia defender. The ball took a fortuitous bounce and landed at the feet of cole Grossman, who took his own shot at winning the game. This time, the Virginia goalie foiled Duke’s hopes by parrying the shot away. Blue Devil sophomore Daniel Tweed-Kent would not let the cavaliers escape again, however. Perfectly placed, he picked up the rebound and put it into the back of the net, leaving the thousands of fans silent and Duke still undefeated. “Daniel knew exactly how to frame the goal so that when the ball came away from the keeper he was there to put it away,” Kerr said. “it’s so rewarding to see how we can benefit from the things we do and talk about in practice. That gives us a lot of confidence, that we can find the energy and discipline to make a difference.”
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 | 3
VOLLEYBALL
Cross Country
Duke no match for Nittany Lions Blue Devils set pace at JMU Invite by Kyle Lambrecht The chronicle
The annual Duke Invitational pitted the College of Charleston, Loyola, Duke and last year’s NCAA champions, No. 1 Penn State. The Blue Devils came into the tournament unbeaten at the Invitational since 1999, posting 29 consecutive victories over the past decade. Duke’s winning CHAR 1 streak, though, DUKE 3 ended at the hands of one of the best 0 opponents to visit LOY DUKE 3 Cameron Indoor Stadium in years. The Blue Dev3 PSU ils’ toughest game DUKE 0 of the weekend, against the reigning champions, came Saturday night in front of an enormous crowd which came to support the Blue Devils (8-2) in their battle against the Nittany Lions (9-0). Penn State senior outside hitter Megan Hodge, a Durham native, received a standing ovation from the crowd before the game as many of Hodge’s friends and family were in attendance. With a strong performance from Hodge—and Penn State’s tall front line which included four players over 6-foot3—the Blue Devils fell in three consecutive sets. Although Duke was swept, 25-21, 25-17 and 25-15, the Blue Devils showed that they could compete with one of the best teams in the nation. Although the team fell behind early in the third set, Duke was com-
Addison Corriher/The Chronicle
Sophomore setter Kellie Catanach helped the Blue Devils to two victories in this weekend’s Duke Invitational. petitive with the Nittany Lions in the first two sets until the end. Hodge’s efficient attacking, however, kept the Blue Devils at bay and proved to be too much for them to handle.
Hodge hit .655 in the match with 19 kills on 29 attacks and she was named MVP of the tournament with 44 kills and only See Vball on page 7
The Blue Devils swept competition from across the East Coast at the JMU Invitational this weekend to remain undefeated on both the women’s and men’s teams. Junior Emily Schwitzer won the women’s race outright, covering the 5.1-kilometer race in a time of 18:09, and was followed three seconds later by sophomore Carly Seymour with a time of 18:12. Five other Blue Devils placed in the top ten, and Duke’s top five finishers’ times combined for a cumulative score of 18 points. That score easily put Duke ahead of JMU, the next closest with 55 team points, and the rest of the 119-women field. On the 7.9-kilometer men’s course, junior Bo Waggoner finished second out of 85 competitors in 24:20, with six other Blue Devils finishing in the top ten. The men’s combined total of 23 points was good enough for the victory as well, as only Georgetown came close with 42 points. The Blue Devil men’s squad is now 8-0 on the year, and the women stand at 10-0 overall this season. Duke returns to the course in two weekends at the Roy Griak Inviational in Minneapolis, Minn., before competing in the more local Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary Oct. 2. —from staff reports
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Men’s Basketball
Krzyzewski inducted into Army Hall of Fame Mike Krzyzewski has one more accolade to add to his decorated coaching resume. On Friday, the Duke head coach was honored by being inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame. Krzyzewski was one of eight former Black Knights in the 2009 class. Krzyzewski, Army ’69, played basketball for the Black Knights and served as senior captain in his final season. He returned to coach the team in 1975 and compiled a 73-59 record in five years, highlighted by Army’s most recent trip to the National Invitational Tournament in 1978. “This is a tremendous honor,” Krzyzewski sad. “To be named to the Hall of Fame by the best school in the country is truly special.... West Point has been the foundation for everything in my life. It produces very genuine people. I am honored to represent our class tonight.” Krzyzewski was introduced by his former head coach, Bob Knight, who was inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame last year. Duke alum John Feinstein served as the master of ceremonies for the event. The newest class was honored at halftime of the Duke-Army football game Saturday, where Krzyzewski had a hard time deciding his rooting loyalties. Nevertheless, football head coach David Cutcliffe commended his fellow Blue Devil coach for his service to both schools. “I have great respect for this institution [Army],” Cutcliffe said. “Mike Krzyzewski, one of our own, is a product, and he’s one of the finest leaders I think I’ve ever heard speak. I think this is... America’s premier leadership institute without a doubt.” Krzyzewski had previously been inducted into the Naismith Coaching Hall of Fame in 2001. He is the 66th member of the Army Sports Hall of Fame. —from staff reports
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Football
Wright’s big day forces Army surrender by Andrew Hibbard The chronicle
WEST POINT, N.Y. — The last two minutes of Duke’s fourth quarter in West Point were among the best the team has seen in years—and certainly the best of Leon Wright’s career. In the space of 16 seconds, the senior cornerback intercepted two Army passes, running for a total of 84 yards to inflate Duke’s lead from eight to 22 to lift the Blue Devils to a 35-19 victory over the Black Knights (1-1) Saturday. It was Duke’s first win of the season in its first meeting with Army since 1997. The win, which preserves the Blue Devils’ hopes of bowl eligibility, was also a much-needed boost in morale. And having plays like Wright’s back-to-back scores were icing on the cake. “It was a must-win, just like all our games,” quarterback Sean Renfree said. “But it was a great opportunity to go out and just show people how we can really play. I think we really did that the second half.” Duke (1-1) blew past the Black Knights in the second half, scoring 28 of its 35 points, and 21 in the final quarter alone. But it wasn’t easy for Duke to get the win. At the outset, the Blue Devils looked no better than their Richmond selves, allowing Army to rush 55 yards in its first possession. Five plays and less than two minutes later, Army had seven points on the board. “They threw a play we’ve never seen before,” senior linebacker Vincent Rey said. “They ended up scoring on that drive, but the main thing was for us to recuperate and understand what they were trying to do to us and make some plays.” It did take time for Duke to recover, and it was a slow first half, especially for senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who struggled to connect with his receivers. The lone bright spot was a 14-yard pass from Lewis to freshman receiver Conner Vernon for Duke’s first touchdown in the second quarter. It was Duke’s defensive line that stepped up earliest, allowing only two field goals after the initial drive before conceding a Black Knight touchdown in the final seconds when the game was already decided. Rey and senior defensive end Ayanga Ok-
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Safety Matt Daniels helped Duke’s defense contain Army’s triple option attack in the Blue Devils’ 35-19 win Saturday. pokowuruk each notched 10 tackles. Head coach David Cutcliffe credited the defense and Duke’s kicking game for getting his team through the first half. “I love coming from behind and winning a game—I don’t care what the circumstance is,” he said. “I told our team at halftime it’s why we play two halves. There’s an opportunity ahead of you.” Much of the success after the break came from Renfree. In his debut, the redshirt freshman shone brighter than anyone on the field, going 7-of-8 passing and throwing for two touchdowns. He found the end zone on his first pass, a 17-yard touchdown toss to junior tight end Brett Huffman. Cutcliffe was also quick to dismiss any rumors that Renfree will be taking over Lewis’ spot in the lineup. “At that point in time, when you all of a sud-
den get a little hot, I had no problem putting Thad back in,” he said. “But you don’t do that when you’ve got a hot hand. I was real pleased. And we win and lose as a team.” Renfree and Lewis both displayed no ill will toward one another, the freshman praising Lewis for his leadership, and Lewis encouraging Renfree for his stellar showing. But at the end of the day, the biggest thing was for Duke to get its first win. Cutcliffe said the team still has a lot of improving to do, but Saturday’s performance against Army was the Duke he wants to see. “There was no comparison between our energy today and our energy against Richmond—no discredit to Richmond,” Cutcliffe said. “Even though we were behind, even though we hadn’t played perfectly, there was a lot of energy on that field and on that sideline. It felt like who we are.”
Ian Soileau/The Chronicle
Duke Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski was inducted into the Army Hall of Fame Saturday.
Senior running back Re’quan Boyette (21, center) is surrounded by seven Army defenders during the Blue Devils’ 35-19 win over the Black Knights Saturday in West Point, N.Y. Bo
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 | 5
Ian Soileau/The Chronicle
Senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis was just 5-for-16 passing when he was replaced by redshirt freshman Sean Renfree in Saturday’s win against Army.
QB switch triggers Duke win by Andrew Hibbard The chronicle
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Head coach David Cutcliffe told his team at halftime there’s a reason football games have two halves. And Duke’s come-from-behind win over Army was proof of that. The Blue Devils came into the second half of Saturday’s game at West Point looking like a different squad. And the biggest change in the game was substituting redshirt freshman quarterback Sean Renfree for senior Game Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis completed 5-of-16 passes, throwing for Analysis a total of 60 yards, and Duke struggled offensively, only scoring one touchdown in the first half. But when Renfree took the field in the second half—not even having warmed up—his first pass resulted in a touchdown. In his collegiate debut, Renfree went 7-for-8 passing and totaled 106 yards in only a quarter and a half on the gridiron. His first throw gave Duke its first lead in the game, one it would not relinquish. “I was really grateful to get that playcall,” Renfree said of his first throw. “It was an easy pass, just a little dump-off.” Cutcliffe said he planned to play Renfree had the right situ-
ation presented itself last week against Richmond. But he was dead set on playing the quarterback this week against the Black Knights. “I had decided I wanted Sean it that series,” he said. “I don’t like to put a quarterback in when you’re inside the 10-yard line as his first series—it’s not very fair to him. He certainly took advantage of the opportunity.” Renfree delivered a second touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, connecting with sophomore wide receiver Donovan Varner on a beatiful long ball for 31 yards. The score helped secure Duke’s victory, elevating its lead to 21-13. Lewis said he did not live up to his expectations Saturday but was excited to see Renfree deliver. “I told a lot of people from the beginning he’s a great player,” he said. “When his number is called, that’s what you want to see.” In the second half with Renfree under center, the Blue Devils were able to penetrate Army’s tough defense for two offensive touchdowns. “They based us on the backside. What that offense does is they have to be patient and we have to patient,” Cutcliffe said. “They keep cracking until you make a lot of mistakes, but we just didn’t make a lot of mistakes. We made some early but we work year-round against that. I think that’s paid off.” Cutcliffe added that the Black Knight defense—what he called a “nasty scheme”—is similar to Georgia Tech’s, so Duke’s coaching staff was prepared for it. After the game, reporters weren’t asking about next
“I told a lot of people from the beginning [Renfree’s] a great player.” — Senior Thaddeus Lewis
Ian Soileau/The Chronicle
oyette ran for 48 yards on 21 carries and also recorded 35 receiving yards on the day.
week’s opponent, Kansas. Instead, the question on everyone’s mind was whether Renfree will start in Lewis’ place, a suggestion Cutcliffe refuted Sunday. As for any notions of a swollen ego for the freshman—well, Renfree, thy name isn’t Echo. “It’s one game,” Renfree said. “It wasn’t even a full game, just the second half. This game’s over. You can’t take away much from a quarter and a half.” Cutcliffe said he was pleased with Renfree’s performance, but said Saturday wasn’t the time to talk about next week’s lineup. “We’ve just got some little things we’ve got to address and look at,” he said. “But the most important thing is just getting better as a team.”
Around the acc Home team in bold:
No. 15 GT 30 - 27 Clemson (Thu.) Georgia Tech placekicker Scott Blair booted his first career game-winning field goal with 57 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter after the Yellow Jackets nearly squandered a 24 point lead. Blair also threw his first touchdown pass off a fake field goal as Georgia Tech rallied back to retake the lead after Clemson had erased the enormous deficit.
UConn 10 - 12 No. 19 UNC The Huskies’ defense virtually shut down the Tar Heels the entire game, holding UNC to just 134 offensive yards through the first three quarters. Connecticut’s offense, though, did not follow suit as a holding penalty in the end zone gave North Carolina the 12-10 victory after the safety.
Wake Forest 24 - 17 Stanford Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner led the Demon Deacons to victory after coming back from a 14-point deficit. On the game-winning drive, Skinner connected on a 44-yard completion with receiver Lovell Jackson. Then the Demon Deacons’ quarterback scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with only two seconds left in regulation to secure the victory.
Virginia 14 - 30 No. 16 TCU No. 14 Va Tech 52 - 10 Marshall FSU 19 - 9 J’Ville St. Maryland 38 - 35 JMU (OT)
6 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
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Women’s Soccer
Blue Devils stumble against Gators in Gainesville by Lucas Nevola The chronicle
Rob Stewart/The Chronicle
Chelsea Canepa scored four times over the weekend as Duke lost to Florida and defeated Alabama A&M.
Home-field advantage means a lot to most teams, and Duke found out this weekend just how valuable a friendly crowd can be. The Blue Devils split two games over the weekend, losing 2-1 Friday to No. 14 Florida at rowdy James G. Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., and easing by Alabama A&M 8-0 at Koskinen Stadium in Durham Sunday. Duke (3-3-1) fought valiantly DUKE 1 against the Gators (52 2). Following a goal UF in the 42nd minute A&M 0 by Florida midfielder Thompson, DUKE 8 Lindsay Duke immediately responded thanks to substitute Chelsea Canepa, who cracked a 25-foot laser past Gator goalie Katie Fraine. The Blue Devils couldn’t sustain that momentum, however, and were outshot 7-3 in the second half, one of the seven being a tap-in goal by Florida’s Brooke Thigpen in the 64th minute. “The first 35 minutes we were the better team on the field,” head coach Robbie Church said. “We get to the final third, we still are not quite as sharp as we have to be.... Florida is always a tough environment and had a great crowd there. It was a tough loss for us.” After such a taxing game, Duke wanted to make sure it didn’t overlook the smallconference Alabama A&M (0-7). “We had a lot of good play in Florida,” said Blue Devil forward Cody Newman. “But we also had a lot of times where we
just shut it off, so we wanted to just play for 90 minutes.” Duke didn’t even have to play that long, as officials called the game with 18 minutes remaining to be merciful to the overmatched visitors. The Blue Devils ended the game early by scoring eight goals in the first half, a new Duke record for scores in the opening period. Canepa came up big for the second straight game, scoring a hat trick in just 34 minutes of playing time. “It’s always nice to score goals.” Canepa said. “Whenever you score goals, it’s just because your team is behind you, and they’re supporting you throughout.” The Blue Devils demoralized the Bulldogs by scoring the first four goals in one three-minute stretch. Lynea Pappas opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and her goal was followed by tallies from Rebecca Allen in the 10th minute, KayAnne Gummersall in the 11th, and Cody Newman also in the 11th. After attempting 12 shots in the first half, the Blue Devils were content to simply dribble out the clock in the second. Duke registered no shots following intermission, giving up multiple scoring opportunities in favor of simply passing the ball back to the midfield or defense. The Blue Devils remained undefeated at home, improving to 3-0-1 at Koskinen. “In the last two or three years we’ve had a really good home record,” Church said. However, knowing Duke’s opponents only get tougher from here, he added cautiously, See W. Soccer on page 8
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MonDAY, SePteMBer 14, 2009 | 7
FIELD HOCKEY
Demon Deacons hold off Duke by Michael Cai The chronicle
Duke’s struggles continued as the Blue Devils lost their Acc opener against Wake Forest 3-2 at Williams Field Saturday. The no. 3 Demon Deacons controlled possession and created more scoring opportunities than no. 11 Duke— which was without star defender lauren Miller—and a late Blue Devil rally fell short. The loss came after a rough weekend in which Duke (3-2) not only lost a game to Drexel but also senior captain Miller, an All-American defender, to a hand injury. “We are probably the youngest team i’ve ever coached and we had 3 WAKE the opportunity to take this game DUKE 2 without lauren Miller,” head coach Beth Bozman said. “i think we are going to get better every game and it’s just the kind of season it is. We just have to keep fighting and clawing for everything. “ Tough defense by both teams kept the game scoreless until the 29th minute, when Wake Forest midfielder raisa Schiller broke the 0-0 tie. Despite being outshot 9-5, Duke had plenty of opportunities to score in the first period, including a penalty corner with 45 seconds left in the half that a Wake Forest defender was able to deflect just above the cage. The Demon Deacons (4-1) extended their lead to 2-0 at the start of the second half when lizzie rae scored on an assist by forward Kim romansky. After the goal, Duke played more intensely on both sides of the ball—the Blue Devils held their opponent to just three shots in the period, and managed to score twice themselves. Amie Survilla put the Blue Devils on the board in the 62nd minute, but romansky answered with a quick goal of her own just two minutes later. See F. HocKeY on PAGe 8
FAiTh roBerTson/ChroniCle File PhoTo
senior tri-captain Amie survilla scored twice saturday against Wake Forest, but Duke lost by a goal to the Demon Deacons at Williams Field.
VBALL from page 3 four errors in her return to her homtowon. “We learned that we can play with the best, and that is going to be huge for the rest of the season,” sophomore setter Kellie catanach said. “There are definitely some things that we need to work on, but i think that this weekend was a great experience and something that we will be able to grow from.” Duke’s major weakness in the match against the nation’s top ranked team was commiting unforced serving errors. The Blue Devils had eight service errors, which just handed the already skilled Penn State squad easy points. “We were trying to serve strategically and also a lot tougher,” head coach Jolene nagel said. “A lot of the teams we play have really great passers and if we don’t serve tough, it is going to be tough to be competitive.” Before going down against the nittany lions, Duke
started the weekend matches out strong, topping the college of charleston (2-7) Friday night. Despite falling in the first set 25-18, the Blue Devils’ catanach gave an impressive performance with 50 assists, helping lead the Blue Devils to a 3-1 victory. “Kellie is doing a great job of running the offense for our team,” nagel said. “She is working really hard and i think she is a modest player. She does things in a quiet way while still efficiently running our team. “it is not just about her, but at the same time it is all about her.” Saturday proved a tougher challenge for Duke, beginning with a matchup with loyola (4-8). The Blue Devils swept loyola 25-11, 25-18 and 25-20, while posting a hitting percentage of .368 in the game, with 41 kills and only six errors. The Blue Devils’ next match is Sept. 18 at the Wake Forest Black and Gold challenge. Duke will meet its first conference opponent, the Demon Deacons, Friday at 7 p.m., before facing off against liberty and Appalachian State the following day.
8 | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
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F. Hockey from page 7
W. Soccer from page 6
Survilla tallied her second strike with 1:32 left, but the game was already out of reach. In the contest, Duke failed to score on all five of its penalty corners, including two that came back-to-back with 13 minutes left in the game. “We need to shoot a little more,” Bozman said. “We missed such great opportunities.” The Blue Devils’ youth was evident Saturday, and at cerntain poitnts in the game there were only two upperclassmen on the field. Duke’s inexperience, in addition to Miller’s absence, will likely remain a reccuring theme throughout the season that Bozman hopes her squad can overcome. Duke returns to action Saturday when it takes on Longwood.
“We’ll find out how that record stands.” The Blue Devils hope the tough road loss against the Gators turns into a moral victory by preparing the team for its next road matchup, Sept. 24 against North Carolina in Chapel Hill. “[Florida] was a really exciting game,” Canepa said. “We had a really big crowd. It was nice to play in that atmosphere.... Unfortunately we just couldn’t get the result we wanted.” Church was happy to have a much more relaxing game against Alabama A&M, where the substitutes could play most of the minutes. Of course, they didn’t play as many minutes as they could have when the refs decided enough was enough and sent everyone home early.
Andrew Zheng/Chronicle File Photo
Sophomore Cody Newman scored once and assisted on two goals in Duke’s 8-0 romp over Alabama A&M.
fromstaffreports Blue Devils to Be Key Factors in WNBA Playoffs Former Duke players Alana Beard, Monique Currie and Lindsey Harding will see major action in the WNBA playoffs as members of the Washington Mystics. The three have prominent roles on the team, which secured the fourth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Beard has worked herself into MVP contention with a stellar season for the Mystics. The former three-time AllAmerican at Duke is averaging a team-leading 16.2 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 steals per contest, in spite of an ankle injury that has hindered the star for the latter part of the year. Harding—the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft—has matured into one of the premier point guards in the league and started all 32 games for Washington. She leads her squad with 4.7 assists per game, but hasn’t lost her scoring touch, chipping in 12.7 points each contest. Also starting every game for the Mystics is Currie, who is averaging 7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on the season. Washington opens up the postseason at home against top seed Indiana in a best-of-three series. —from staff reports
Chronicle FILE PHOTO
Washington Mystics guard Lindsey Harding is one of three former Blue Devils on the team, which qualified for the WNBA playoffs.