Charmaine Hooper scored two goals and assisted a third to lead visiting Atlanta past Boston, 3-1, Sunday evening before 3,518 at Nickerson Field.
The result snapped the Breakers' WUSA-record 13-game unbeaten streak, which dated to 2001.
The attendance, the smallest in Breakers' home history, failed to top 4,000 for the second time in as many matches this season at Nickerson Field. Boston beat Philadelphia on April 26 in front of 3,823 fans.
Five other games in WUSA history, all New York home games played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y., have failed to draw 4,000 spectators. The smallest crowd this season is 3,165 for last week's New York-Philadelphia clash.
Hooper scored in the 10th and 33rd minutes to give the Beat (4-1-2, 14 points) a 2-0 lead, and she assisted Homare Sawa's 68th-minute goal to restore a two-goal advantage.
Dagny Mellgren scored her fifth goal of the season late in the first half for the Breakers (3-3-2, 11 points).
Atlanta won its season series with Boston, valuable in determining playoff participants and postseason home-field advantage. The Beat won the first meeting, 6-0, April 12 at Herndon Stadium.
The Beat pulled within two points of first place Washington and can grab the top spot with a win next weekend in San Diego. The Freedom are idle next week.
SUNDAY'S SUMMARY
May 24 at Boston
Boston 1 Atlanta 3. Goals: Mellgren (Meinert, Aldama) 38; Hooper (Sawa) 10, Hooper (Dominguez) 33, Sawa (Hooper, Parlow) 68.
Boston — LeBlanc; Kluegel, Sobrero, Gonzalez (Gulbrandsen, 73), Aldama; Mugneret-Beghe, Hucles, Popper, Lilly; Meinert, Mellgren.
Atlanta — Scurry; Dieke, Nonen, N. Augustyniak, Gaston; Sawa, Miller (Serlenga, 66); Parlow, Pohlers (Crumpton, 46); Dominguez, Hooper.
Yellow cards — Boston: Aldama 35, Hucles 40; Atlanta: Dominguez 29, Nonen 85.
Referee — Tony Russo.
A — 3,518.
WUSA STANDINGS
Pl W-L-T Pts (GF-GA)
1. Washington 7 5-1-1 16 points (18-9)
2. Atlanta 7 4-1-2 14 (17-4)
3. San Diego 7 3-1-3 12 (10-7)
4. San Jose 7 4-3-0 12 (8-7)
5. Boston 8 3-3-2 11 (13-17)
6. New York 8 3-5-0 9 (13-22)
7. Carolina 6 1-5-0 3 (10-15)
8. Philadelphia 6 1-5-0 3 (8-16)
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Sunday's result
Boston 1 Atlanta 3
Saturday's results
Carolina 1 San Diego 2
New York 0 Washington 4
Philadelphia 0 San Jose 2
NEXT WEEK'S GAMES
Saturday, May 31
San Jose at Boston, 4 p.m. (PAX TV)
Carolina at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Atlanta at San Diego, 9 p.m.
All times Eastern
LEADING SCORERS
G-A–Pts
1. Mia Hamm (Washington) 6-4–16
2. Maribel Dominguez (Atlanta) 6-3–15
Maren Meinert (Boston) 6-3–15
4. Danielle Fotopoulos (Carolina) 4-5–13
5. Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta) 3-5–11
Dagny Mellgren (Boston) 5-1–11
Abby Wambach (Washington) 4-3–11
8. Julie Fleeting (San Diego) 4-1–9
9. Tiffeny Milbrett (New York) 3-2–8
Homare Sawa (Atlanta) 3-2–8
Christie Welsh (New York) 4-0–8
12. Jacqui Little (Washington) 2-3–7
Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia) 3-1–7
Pretinha (San Jose) 3-1–7
Birgit Prinz (Carolina) 3-1–7
16. Abby Crumpton (Atlanta) 2-2–6
Sissi (San Jose) 1-4–6
18. Kelly Golebiowski (Washington) 2-1–5
Shannon MacMillan (San Diego) 1-3–5
Joanne Peters (New York) 2-1–5
Lindsay Stoecker (Washington) 2-1–5
Stacey Tullock (Philadelphia) 1-3–5
23. Brandi Chastain (San Jose) 1-2–4
Krista Davey (New York) 2-0–4
Monica Gonzalez (Boston) 1-2–4
Melanie Hoffmann (Philadelphia) 1-2–4
Katia (San Jose) 1-2–4