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Mystics-Sky Preview

Sep 4, 2009 - 3:42 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Washington (14-15) at Chicago (14-16), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky are locked in a tight race for two of the Eastern Conference's final three playoff spots, but they could have something else in common heading into the final stretch.

Both teams might not have an All-Star in their lineups for Friday night's game in Chicago.

Washington's Alana Beard and Chicago's Sylvia Fowles are suffering from sprained left ankles and their statuses are unknown.

Beard, the Mystics' leading scorer at 16.6 points per game, missed her team's 78-67 victory over visiting Seattle on Thursday night. Fowles, who has averaged 12.0 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds, has sat out the past five contests.

Both teams likely have their fingers crossed for a speedy return. Entering Friday's play, four games separate second-place Atlanta to last-place New York, but the race for the final two spots is even more contentious with 1 1/2 games separating four clubs.

With its latest win, Washington (15-15) moved a half-game in front of Detroit for third place. Chicago (14-16) is only one game back in fifth, with Connecticut in sixth.

Monique Currie scored a season-high 17 points to end the Storm's six-game win streak, and Matee Ajavon added 16 while starting in Beard's place.

"We needed this game more than they did," Currie said. "We took it and I think we are all very proud."

The Mystics, however, must play three of their final four games on the road, where they are 2-6 since the beginning of July. The Sky, meanwhile, have three of their final four at home, where they are 10-4.

Chicago, however, is 1-9 without Fowles and 1-4 during her latest injury. The Sky lost five straight when she sat out with a sore right knee in July.

The Sky earned their lone win without her and snapped a two-game home slide Aug. 28 against New York, but they couldn't complete the two-game sweep with Sunday's 77-63 loss at Madison Square Garden.

"We're looking to get healthy, get Sylvia back and get some other people back," coach and general manager Steven Key said. "It's a four-game season. We're still in control of what happens to us. If we win four games, it doesn't matter what anybody else does. We still make the playoffs. That's our goal."

Washington has won two of the three meetings but lost 68-63 in its only trip to Chicago on June 27. Candice Dupree had a game-high 23 points and Fowles added 13, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Beard scored a season-high 31 points in an 81-72 home victory over the Sky on June 20, but averaged 11.0 points on 7 of 21 shooting in the next two meetings.

Washington leads the all-time series 9-4 but has lost two of three in Chicago.