By Scott French, Senior Editor MIA'S BACK: Mia Hamm's return from knee surgery prodded the Washington Freedom to a pair of victories, extending its winning streak to four games. Hamm scored the winner Wednesday night in a 2-1 victory over Boston with a nifty maneuver just six minutes into her 2002 debut. On Saturday, she came off the bench and scored on a penalty kick as the Freedom blasted San Diego, 4-0. Washington also benefited from rookie Abby Wambach's prowess up top. Wambach, without a point in the previous three games, scored the tying goal just before halftime against Boston, then added two goals and an assist against San Diego. The win over the Spirit came with a price. Defensive midfielder Lindsey Stoecker — the ''heart of our team,'' according to Hamm — suffered torn knee ligaments and is likely done for the season. An MRI test will be taken today. San Diego, which has lost four in a row, was in the match until near the end, surrendering three goals in the final 11 minutes. By then, three starters — Shannon MacMillan (foot), Rhiannon Tanaka (hamstring) and Joy Fawcett (calf) — had exited with injuries. CLASSIC DUEL: The last 45 minutes of San Jose's 4-3 thriller over visiting New York on Saturday was as good as it gets. The CyberRays overcame a first-half deficit, then surrendered two leads before claiming victory on Katia's 88th-minute penalty kick. Tiffeny Milbrett, held scoreless in five previous meetings with the 'Rays, had a hat trick for the last-place Power, which dropped its third successive contest and its seventh in nine games. Her feat was overshadowed by Brandi Chastain's heroic performance. After moving from right back to center forward when San Jose coach Ian Sawyers shifted in the second half from a 5-3-2 alignment to a 4-3-3, Chastain scored two goals — in the 66th and 70th minutes, both giving the 'Rays a one-goal advantage — and set up Katia's PK. OH FOR FIVE: Carolina vaulted back into second place, two points behind league-leader Philadelphia, by snapping host Atlanta's four-game winning and five-game unbeaten streaks with a 3-1 triumph. The Beat, which had been unbeaten in 16 games when scoring first, can't solve the Courage. Carolina is 4-0-1 against Atlanta after fighting back from a first-half deficit on Saturday. ''Carolina is our nemesis. I don't know why,'' said Beat goalkeeper Briana Scurry, whose 375-minute shutout streak ended with Danielle Fotopoulos' goal just before halftime. ''I think maybe they have a complex against us,'' offered Carolina midfielder Unni Lehn, who netted the gamewinner in the 58th minute. Atlanta was without forward Charmaine Hooper, who was fined and suspended for displaying the logo of a company without a WUSA sponsorship agreement, a violation of her contract for which she had previously been warned. BEST GOAL: Hamm's 72nd-minute winner against Boston on Wednesday was a winner. She took the rebound of her blocked shot, backheeled the ball into space, spun and cracked a 10-yarder into the upper-right corner.