Katie Smith, Van Gorp spearhead Lynx win

Washington (2-9) struggled without leading scorer Chamique Holdsclaw.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Katie Smith and Michele Van Gorp were too much for the Washington Mystics to stop.
Smith scored a game-high 19 points and Van Gorp added 17 off the bench as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Mystics 59-50 on Sunday.
Smith had a big first half while Van Gorp dominated play inside in the second half.
Minnesota (7-6) jumped ahead early behind Smith, who made her first six shots from the field and scored 14 points in the first eight minutes as the Lynx won their third straight game.
"That's Katie, she gets us going offensively and defensively," Minnesota coach Suzie McConnell Serio said. "I think Michele ... came in the game and changed the game."
Washington switched to a 2-3 zone defense after Minnesota took the lead. Smith already had scored 14 points, and the zone slowed her and the Lynx down.
"It just slowed down the tempo of the game," Smith said. "I don't think we adjusted really well in the first half."
But in the second half, Van Gorp scored 15 of her season-high 17 to help the Lynx slowly pull away.
Attacked Mystics' defense
"We did a better job in the second half of attacking their zone," Van Gorp said. "We [hurt] them from the inside as well as outside."
Washington (2-9) struggled without leading scorer Chamique Holdsclaw, out for the second straight game with a bruised hamstring.
The Mystics have lost six straight. Reserve Nakia Sanford led the Mystics with 10 points. No Washington starter scored in double figures.
The Mystics bounced back from the early deficit and cut the lead to 30-25 at halftime. Washington cut the deficit to one several times early in the second half before Van Gorp started rolling.
Van Gorp scored nine of Minnesota's 15 points and helped the Lynx take a 51-41 lead with 6:26 left. She then made four free throws in the final 42.4 seconds to help Minnesota clinch the victory.
"We just have to stay strong through this difficult time," Washington coach Marianne Stanley said. "We're still searching for the contribution that everyone is capable of making."