Mia Hamm netted her first WUSA hat trick and Abby Wambach added two goals and two assists on Saturday as the Washington Freedom routed visiting San Jose, 5-0, to clinch a berth in the semifinals.

The Freedom's triumph also clinched a playoff spot for Boston — its first in three seasons — and left four clubs, including the CyberRays, battling for the final postseason berth.

Marinette Pichon scored a pair of goals to lead last-place Philadelphia past first-place Atlanta, 3-0. The Beat, which holds a two-point advantage on Boston and Washington with two games to play, clinched a playoff berth on Wednesday.

Saturday's highlights:

Washington 5 San Jose 0: The Freedom (9-6-4, 31 points) pulled away in the second half to the largest victory in its history as Hamm and Wambach resumed the top two spots among the WUSA's scoring leaders before 9,269 at RFK Stadium.

Hamm netted the league's fifth hat trick this season and the 10th in three seasons, giving Washington a lead just before halftime and a three-goal advantage by the 55th minute.

The tallies gave Hamm 33 points, on 11 goals and 11 assists. Wambach, who added a pair of late goals, has 32 points. Boston's Maren Meinert and Dagny Mellgren each have 28.

Wambach and Mellgren are tied for the lead in goals, with 13.

San Jose (7-9-3, 24 points), playing its fifth successive match without injured Brandi Chastain, lost an opportunity to step toward a playoff berth. The CyberRays, battling San Diego, New York and Carolina for the final spot, finishes with home games against Atlanta and Boston.

Hamm's first goal completed a superb sequence, with Wambach playing the critical role after taking a pass from Jen Grubb near midfield. The forward carried the ball up the right flank, into the box and to the edge of the 6-yard box, slipped it between two defenders for Hamm, whose shot caromed off the crossbar.

The ball bounced to the left of the penalty spot, and Kelly Golebiowski headed it toward Hamm, who redirected the ball with her head into the net.

Hamm got her second in the 50th minute from another nice sequence. Golebiowski picked up a loose ball near midfield, sent it to Wambach, who took it toward the left corner and crossed to the far post. Steffi Jones nodded it down for the advancing Hamm, who, about 7 yards out, mishit the ball but put it on target. The ball slowly bounced into the net.

Hamm's third goal, in the 55th, came from Wambach's flick-header off Siri Mullinix's punt.

Wambach added goals in the 76th and 89th minutes, the first after beating two defenders following a Jennifer Meier feed, the second on a left-footed volley after Sarah Kate Noftsinger chested down Casey Zimny's cross.

Wambach, last week selected the WUSA's Player of the Month for July, has scored eight goals in her past seven matches. This was her fourth multigoal game this season.

Philadelphia 3 Atlanta 0: The Charge (4-11-4, 16 points), already eliminated from playoff contention, snapped a team-record five-game losing streak as Pichon scored her 11th and 12th goals of the season before 7,802 at Villanova Stadium.

Emily Burt, acquired earlier this season by Philly off waivers from Atlanta, added a goal and an assist as the Charge denied Atlanta (9-4-6, 33 points) its 10th victory of the season.

The Beat had surrendered 14 goals in its previous 18 matches. Only Carolina, in a 3-2 victory on July 4, had scored three goals on Atlanta this season.

The shutout was the Charge's second of the season.

Pichon fired Philadelphia ahead in the 20th minute after Stacey Tullock stripped Nikki Serlenga, and she and Burt scored nine minutes apart early in the second half to nail down the victory. Burt's 50th-minute goal came after a deflected Lorrie Fair shot, and Pichon tallied on a counter attack in the 59th minute.

Atlanta had two outstanding scoring chances in the first half, but Pichon made a goal-line stop on Cindy Parlow's header off a corner kick in the 37th minute, and Hooper hit the crossbar from 6 yards in the 44th.

Referee Rachel Woo was injured in the first half and became the fourth official at halftime. Linesman Adam Smeltz took charge in the middle.

Playoff situation

Atlanta, Boston and Washington are in. Home-field advantage has not been determined.

San Diego (6-6-7, 25 points) and New York (7-9-4, 25 points) are tied for fourth, although the Spirit's better record in head-to-head meetings gives it the advantage in the tiebreaker. San Jose and Carolina (7-8-3, 24 points) are one point back; San Jose won the season series.

New York has just one game remaining, Aug. 10 at Atlanta. San Diego (Sunday vs. Carolina and Aug. 9 vs. Washington) and San Jose (Wednesday against Atlanta, Aug. 10 vs. Boston) have two games remaining, all home games.

Carolina has three games to play: Sunday at San Diego, Wednesday at Boston and Aug. 9 at home against Philadelphia.

SATURDAY'S SUMMARIES

Aug. 2 at Washington

Washington 5 San Jose 0. Goals: Hamm (Golebiowski) 41, Hamm (Jones, Wambach) 50, Hamm (Wambach) 55, Wambach (Meier) 76, Wambach (Noftsinger, Zimny) 89.

Washington — Mullinix (Wright, 79); S. Little, Grubb, Minnert, Moore; Hamm (Meier, 75), Stoecker (Zimny, 57), Jones, Golebiowski (Noftsinger, 79); J. Little (Beard, 61), Wambach.

San Jose — Beene; Alagich, Bryan, Lindsey, French; Cook(Sissi, 46), Barr; Sanchez (Bell, 61), Venturini-Hoch, Antongiovanni (Barnes, 42); Clemens (Katia, 46).

Yellow cards — None.

Referee — Misail Tsapos.

A — 9,269.

Aug. 2 at Philadelphia

Philadelphia 3 Atlanta 0. Goals: Pichon (Tullock) 20, Burt 50, Pichon (Tietjen-Prozzo, Burt) 59.

Philadelphia — Solo; Mitts (Scasna, 63), McVeigh, Tietjen-Prozzo, Benson; Makinen; Fair, Tullock (Hall, 80), Burt; Pichon, Hoffmann.

Atlanta — Scurry; Bivens, Nonen (Crumpton, 66), N. Augustyniak, J. Augustyniak; Serlenga, Miller (Warren, 52); Parlow (Withers, 67), Sawa; Pohlers (Dominguez, 46), Hooper.

Yellow cards — None.

Referee — Rachel Woo (Adam Smeltz, 46).

A — 7,802.

WUSA STANDINGS

Pl W-L-T Pts (GF-GA)
1. x-Atlanta 19 9-4-6 33 (32-17)
2. x-Boston 19 8-4-7 31 (31-29)
3. x-Washington 19 9-6-4 31 (39-27)
4. San Diego 19 6-6-7 25 (24-25)
5. New York 20 7-9-4 25 (32-42)
6. San Jose 19 7-9-3 24 (22-28)
7. Carolina 18 7-8-3 24 (30-30)
8. Philadelphia 19 4-11-4 16 (27-39)
x — clinched semifinal berth

THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Saturday, Aug. 2
Washington 5 San Jose 0
Philadelphia 3 Atlanta 0

Sunday, Aug. 3
Carolina at San Diego, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30
Carolina 1 San Jose 2

Friday, Aug. 1
Boston at New York, 7 p.m.

NEXT WEEK'S GAMES
Wednesday, Aug. 6
Carolina at Boston, 7 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Atlanta at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 9
Washington at San Diego, 4 p.m. (PAX TV)
Philadelphia at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 10
Boston at San Jose, 6 p.m.
New York at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

All times Eastern

LEADING SCORERS

G-A–Pts
1. Mia Hamm (Washington) 11-11–33
2. Abby Wambach (Washington) 13-6–32
3. Maren Meinert (Boston) 9-10–28
Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 13-2–28
5. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 12-2–26
6. Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 8-7–23
Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 10-3–23
8. Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 9-4–22
9. Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 7-6–20
10. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 7-4–18
11. Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 5-6–16
12. Melanie Hoffmann (Philadelphia) 5-5–15
Pretinha (San Jose) 5-5–15
14. Conny Pohlers (Atlanta) 4-5–13
15. Christine Latham (San Diego) 5-2–12
Christie Welsh (New York) 6-0–12
17. Venus James (Carolina) 5-1–11
Cindy Parlow (Atlanta) 3-5–11
Sissi (San Jose) 3-5–11
Stacey Tullock (Philadelphia) 3-5–11
21. Shannon Boxx (New York) 1-8–10
Katia (San Jose) 4-2–10
23. Emily Janss (New York) 4-1–9
Jacqui Little (Washington) 2-5–9
Lindsay Stoecker (Washington) 4-1–9
26. Abby Crumpton (Atlanta) 3-2–8
Krista Davey (New York) 3-2–8
Julie Foudy (San Jose) 3-2–8
Anita Rapp (New York) 2-4–8
Homare Sawa (Atlanta) 3-2–8
Margaret Tietjen (New York) 1-6–8
Tisha Venturini-Hoch (San Jose) 3-2–8
33. Kelly Golebiowski (Washington) 2-3–7
Kristine Lilly (Boston) 2-3–7
Cheryl Salisbury (New York) 3-1–7
Keri Sanchez (San Jose) 1-5–7
Aly Wagner (San Diego) 2-3–7
38. Justi Baumgardt (New York) 1-4–6
Emily Burt (Philadelphia) 2-2–6
Nel Fettig (Carolina) 2-2–6
Angela Hucles (Boston) 1-4–6
Steffi Jones (Washington) 1-4–6
Unni Lehn (Carolina) 0-6–6
Joanne Peters (New York) 2-2–6
Zhang Ouying (San Diego) 1-4–6
46. Katie Barnes (San Jose) 2-1–5
Erin Baxter (Carolina) 2-1–5
Kylie Bivens (Atlanta) 1-3–5
Brandi Chastain (San Jose) 1-3–5
Jen Grubb (Washington) 2-1–5
Lori Lindsey (Washington) 2-1–5
Shannon MacMillan (San Diego) 1-3–5
Mary-Frances Monroe (Philadelphia) 1-3–5
Jaclyn Raveia (New York) 2-1–5
Danielle Slaton (Carolina) 2-1–5
Allie Sullivan (San Diego) 1-3–5

Goals
1. Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 13
Abby Wambach (Washington) 13
3. Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 12
4. Mia Hamm (Washington) 11
5. Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 10
6. Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 9
Maren Meinert (Boston) 9
8. Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 8
9. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 7
Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 7

Assists
1. Mia Hamm (Washington) 11
2. Maren Meinert (Boston) 10
3. Shannon Boxx (New York) 7
Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 7
5. Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 6
Unni Lehn (Carolina) 6
Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 6
Margaret Tietjen (New York) 6
Abby Wambach (Washington) 6
10. Melanie Hoffman (Philadelphia) 5
Jacqui Little (Washington) 5
Cindy Parlow (Atlanta) 5
Conny Pohlers (Atlanta) 5
Pretinha (San Jose) 5
Keri Sanchez (San Jose) 5
Sissi (San Jose) 5
Stacey Tullock (Philadelphia) 5