Stars vs. Mystics Final Score: Dolson goes into Beast Mode in the 4th, leads D.C. to a 81-70 victory

Washington Mystics rookie center Stefanie Dolson suffered a leg injury during Sunday's loss to the Seattle Storm, and some were wondering whether she could play today. She did, and delivered at the right time to secure a 81-70 win Tuesday at staples Center.

Dolson scored all ten of her points for the Mystics in the fourth quarter. And when she was scoring, no one else for D.C. did. This included a stretch from 6:47 to 4:31 left in the period where she scored all eight straight, while the Stars couldn't answer.

That turned a 63-60 Mystics lead into a 73-64 lead which the Mystics controlled from there. It was one dominant stretch. For that period of time, Dolson was in Beast Mode, and it was the answer to ending a four-game losing streak.

Once you take away Dolson's fourth quarter performance, this was otherwise a rather even game, though the Mystics were still emerging as the team more likely to win.

Early on, Washington was able get a nine-point 36-27 lead with 3:29 left in the second quarter. But from that point on, the Stars made a 6-0 run of their own, including a Kayla McBride three at the buzzer which cut the lead down to 36-33 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Stars were able to take a three point 51-48 lead after a Kayla McBride shot with four minutes left, but Ivory Latta then responded with two consecutive three point shots of her own to give the Mystics the lead once again.

Latta also had 11 points in the quarter overall, and tied for the lead among Mystics players in scoring with 15 points, along with Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. The Mystics also did a good job looking out for each other on offense, where they had 21 assists as a team. Emma Meesseman led the way there with six dimes for the night.

More importantly for the Mystics, this win is also a big morale boost. They have been on a big slump lately, primarily on the offensive end of the ball and today, they played well on that end of the floor while not sacrificing on defense and losing the game. After a tough 1-3 road trip, they head back home game this Friday against the Connecticut Sun.

For the Stars, McBride led all scorers with 17 points for the day, while Danielle Robinson also added 16 points and five steals. This loss is disappointing for them, but they will actually have a chance to settle the score soon because they will be playing the Mystics on the road at Verizon Center next Sunday, June 29.