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Mystics roll past Storm by 32 points

Mystics president and managing partner Sheila C. Johnson, right, hugs her new interim coach Jessie Kenlaw. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Mystics president and managing partner Sheila C. Johnson, right, hugs her new interim coach Jessie Kenlaw. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

WASHINGTON – Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 22 points and Alana Beard tied a career-high with nine assists as the Washington Mystics, in their first game following a coaching change, snapped the Seattle Storm’s seven-game winning streak with a shocking 89-57 win on Sunday.

The Mystics (9-14), one day after head coach Tree Rollins was fired, hit 10 3-pointers, including five in the second quarter when they outscored the Storm 25-8 to take a 48-25 halftime lead and held on for their largest margin of victory on the season.

It was also the biggest blowout loss of the year for the Storm (15-8).

The Storm were led by reserve Katie Geralds with 13 points. Sue Bird added 11 and Camille Little had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Coming off consecutive demoralizing losses by a combined 58 points, the Mystics played with a sense of urgency right from the start under interim head coach Jessie Kenlaw, who is in her first season with the Mystics after four seasons as an assistant with the Storm.