There hasn't been much positive publicity about the Washington Mystics in their history, and that's because ... uhh ... they haven't exactly earned it. In their 10-year history, the Mystics have never finished better than two games over .500, and only once have they even advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
↵But maybe that's all changing this year when we least expected it. 2010 was supposed to be another lost year for the club after star player Alana Beard went down with a season-ending injury. Instead, the Mystics are flying high with a 12-5 record that's good enough to put them near the top of the league. They've won four in a row and eight of their last 10, all without their star. Pretty incredible, right?
↵How are they doing it? I'm not sure, but ESPN's Michelle Voepel discussed the key factors in this wonderful article. Check it out. Maybe it'll convince fellow ESPN-er Bill Simmons to change the name of his famous sports axiom to the "Alana Beard Theory."
↵(Okay, maybe not).
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