INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Monique Currie scored 21 points and Crystal Langhorne added 19 to help the Washington Mystics beat the Indiana Fever 72-65 on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
Katie Smith added 12 points in her first game for Washington after pestering Indiana for years as a member of the Detroit Shock.
Tamika Catchings and Tammy Sutton-Brown each scored 12 points, and Katie Douglas added 10 for the Fever.
Four of Indiana's starters played in the Turkish League finals and practiced together only once before Saturday's game.
The Fever raised the Eastern Conference championship banner from last season before the game, but there was little to celebrate afterward. Washington shot 50 percent and never trailed after the middle of the second quarter.
Washington outrebounded Indiana 43-35 to make up for committing 26 turnovers.
The Mystics led 32-25 late in the first half before Indiana's new pickup, Allie Quigley, sparked a comeback. She made a layup, got a steal that led to a short jumper by Douglas, then made a driving layup to cut Washington's lead to 32-31.
Washington rallied to lead 37-31 at halftime, then increased its edge to 10 points early in the third quarter.
Indiana made a run and cut its deficit to 54-50 early in the fourth quarter while Catchings was the only starter on the floor.
Washington responded definitively. A 3-pointer by Smith made it 64-52 with just under four minutes to play, and Currie followed shortly afterward with a 3 to extend the Mystics' lead to 13.
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