http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/ 15 en-us Copyright 2008 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:48:07 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.2rc4-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Before the Mystics host Detroit tomorrow night at Verizon Center, there's a game tonight between the Shock and Fever that could set the table for the Mystics to be mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. If Indiana wins and then Detroit beats Washington at home the Mystics would be five games back with four games remaining and rest of this season would officially be for pride and morale. While this game is the first meeting between the two teams since the 99-62 shellacking that lead to Tree Rollins' firing, it also brings Taj McWilliams-Franklin back to Washington for the first time since she was traded to Detroit on Aug. 11. I talked to her earlier this week about how things are going in Detroit, her time with the Mystics - including how being the young team's main support system affected her - and various other topics that will be the http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/09/mcwilliams-franklin_returns.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/09/mcwilliams-franklin_returns.html Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:48:07 -0500 Interim coach Jessie Kenlaw gave the Mystics a bit of a breather leading up to today's game against Indiana in hopes that they would have fresh legs throughout the entire match up with the Fever. The two-loss start to these final eight games was much more of a let down than anyone really expected, but Kenlaw said she's determined to find ways to continue the Mystics' overall improvement. With the second-worst record in the league at 10-18 though, things aren't looking promising for a postseason push. It's not mathematically impossible yet, but the Mystics must face second-place Detroit twice, East-leading Connecticut, Chicago and Minnesota teams that already appeared hungrier as they fight for their own trips to the playoffs in these final six games. It's not a stretch of schedule many teams would like to have, but may be even more difficult for the Mystics who aren't showing the confidence http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/09/mystics_vs_fever.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/09/mystics_vs_fever.html Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:09:28 -0500 There's no doubt that the Mystics showed more discipline on the court last night than they probably have all season. Or that there were times against Chicago they exuded the same intensity that their interim coach Jessie Kenlaw does when she's stalking the sidelines during games. But where the Mystics fell flat was once again in their defense. They're using the zone almost exclusively now but weren't able to box out against the Sky. Several times Sylvia Fowles (career high 20 points and 13 rebounds) was left alone, proving that you can lose track of a 6-6 center. Jia Perkins was easily the most impressive player on the court and it didn't seem to matter what the Mystics tried to do to stop her in the second half. The biggest problem with the defensive inconsistencies was that they had been the focal point of the past four weeks -- the http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/have_we_been_here_before.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/have_we_been_here_before.html Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:44:16 -0500 Well folks it's official, we've hit the home stretch of this regular season. Eight games in 17 days that will ultimately show us whether the Mystics are the different team they claim to be and if they'll have enough moxie to wedge their way into the Eastern Conference playoff equation. Tonight's game will be interesting to say the least as Chicago (9-17) and gold-medal winning Sylvia Fowles are one game behind the Mystics (10-16). Chicago could very well position itself to at least challenge for a playoff spot and potentially cause problems for the Mystics should they falter. In their first game back since the Olympics, the Sky used a strong fourth quarter (20-8) to beat the New York Liberty 69-60 yesterday at Madison Square Garden. Here are some things to watch through tonight's game and the coming days. Questions at power forward: Jessie Kenlaw told me that both Bernice http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/welcome_back.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/welcome_back.html Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:54:08 -0500 There were plenty of things that didn't make it into today's hard-copy story on how the Mystics (along with the Atlanta Dream) have managed to have two of the top five attendance averages in the league despite losing records, thanks in part to grass roots marketing techniques. WNBA President Donna Orender was open in her praise of the Mystics' business successes, adding that one of the league's biggest strengths is that the teams share business strategy and infrastructure plans to help make each more viable. "I actually think what (Washington and Atlanta) have done is taken a proactive step in the way they construct their front office," Orender said. And with regard to the Mystics specifically she added that the organization added to its business credibility: "By bringing Greg in they showed, we're going to run a real business here. We're going to get serious about our accountability as a http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/attendance_and_state_of_the_le.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/attendance_and_state_of_the_le.html Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:00:17 -0500 Before we get to how different the Mystics are functioning -- at least in practice -- with Jessie Kenlaw at the helm, point guard Nikki Blue very well may not be available for the team's first game back from the Olympic break Friday against Chicago. Blue sprained her ankle in practice over a week ago and it appears the injury is more severe than originally believed. She is listed as day-to-day and even if the third-year guard is cleared to play against the Sky, Kenlaw told me she would be used "sparingly" after missing so much practice time. The injury is poor timing for the Mystics who are full of optimism and energy after their second training camp. Practices are much different than the ones before the hiatus, with much more enthusiasm and much more aggressive play -- Alana Beard pointed out bruises she has from her own teammates. But http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/blue_questionable_against_sky.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/blue_questionable_against_sky.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:52:10 -0500 The Atlanta Dream have signed former Mystics point guard Nikki Teasley for the remainder of the season. Last-place Atlanta has seven games remaining in its inaugural season, which resumes Aug. 29 against Connecticut. Teasley, who was released by Washington in March and gave birth to her daughter in June, has missed all of the 2008 season to date. Dream coach and former Mystics assistant Marynell Meadors was pleased with her team's new addition. "Nikki is a tremendous talent and excels at seeing the floor," Meadors said. "She will be a huge plus for us and provides us with size at the point guard position." http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/teasley_to_dream.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/teasley_to_dream.html Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:12:55 -0500 Taj McWilliams-Franklin led the Mystics in rebounding and was a dependable offensive threat in the low post. (AP) Mystics General Manager Linda Hargrove met with the team this morning to inform them of the trade that sent Taj McWilliams-Franklin - easily Washington's most consistent player this season -- to the Detroit Shock. Hargrove also explained that she had been looking for a way to change things up. "I think the bottom line is we were 10-16," Hargrove said after the team's morning practice. "Things weren't working with the group we had and we were looking at ways to try to make some changes and try to move forward." McWilliams-Franklin started all 26 games at power forward for the Mystics this season, providing reliable production on the court and serving as the team's greatest source of stability as it struggled to find any form of consistency and went through a http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/trade_update.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/trade_update.html Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:53:28 -0500 The Mystics have traded veteran forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin to Detroit for Tasha Humphrey, Eshaya (Shay) Murphy and a second-round pick in the 2009 draft. McWilliams-Franklin was a consistent performer and floor leader for the Mystics, averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in her first season with the team. She came to Washington after being traded by Los Angeles for DeLisha Milton-Jones. Humphrey, a 6-3 forward-center out of Georgia, is averaging 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in just under 14 minutes a game with the Shock. Murphy, a 5-11 guard from USC, is averaging 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. "Tasha is a versatile rookie post that can shoot the three and score in a variety of ways, her game resembles that of Tina Thompson and she has the potential to develop into one of the best power forward in the league" general manager Linda Hargrove said in a press http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/breaking_news_mystics_trade_ta.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/breaking_news_mystics_trade_ta.html Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:34:21 -0500 It took the U.S. women's basketball team some time to get going in its first Olympic contest today in Beijing -- they didn't score a basket until 3 1/2 minutes into the game. But despite the slow start, the Americans cruised to a 97-57 win over the Czech Republic. Diana Taurasi led the U.S. squad with 17 points, including 13 in the first half. Her Phoenix Mercury teammate, Cappie Pondexter added 12 points. Sylvia Fowles tallied 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as every U.S. player scored. Some notable faces in the crowd: Former WNBA president and current president of USA Basketball Val Ackerman sat with President Bush and his family watching the Americans rout the Czech team. Next up for the U.S. team is Olympic host China on Monday at 8 a.m. The game will be shown live on USA Network and also online at NBCOlympics.com http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/slow_start_big_finish.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/slow_start_big_finish.html Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:12:17 -0500 In the first full-strength matchup between the two teams since the 2004 Games in Athens, the United States edged Australia 71-67 to win the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament in Haining China on Tuesday night. "We definitely bring out the best in each other," U.S. Coach Anne Donovan told the Associated Press. "We have a familiarity with each other. This was absolutely the best preparation we could have going into next week." Lisa Leslie led the way for the U.S. squad with 14 points. Australia's Penny Taylor led all scorers with 19 points and teammate Lauren Jackson added 16 points and took home the tournament's most valuable player award. Just a reminder, like Jon posted this morning, the company is doing technical work on the blogs so we won't be able to post from noon on Tuesday until 3 p.m. on Wednesday. During that time the comments sections of the blog http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/us_wins_olympic_tuneup_tournam_1.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/us_wins_olympic_tuneup_tournam_1.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:52:21 -0500 A quick FYI from washingtonpost.com management: This blog, and all blogs on the site, will undergo an upgrade from noon ET Tuesday till about 3 pm ET Wednesday. You may see a limited number of posts on some blogs in that time frame, but you will not be able to comment. Some blogs -- like this one -- will not have posts or comments at all till tomorrow afternoon. The upgrade will allow our staff to address some sorely needed technical issues. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience. Jon DeNunzio Sports editor, washingtonpost.com http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/sitewide_blog_outage_starting.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/sitewide_blog_outage_starting.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:46:56 -0500 The Mercury's title defense just got a lot tougher. Having struggled for consistency for much of the first part of the season, Phoenix was dealt a serious blow when Penny Taylor, the team's second leading scorer during last year's championship run, announced she won't be returning to the team after the Olympics. She had missed the first part of the season to train for Beijing with the Australian national team. Taylor said she was planning to return to Australia to be with her family and rest after the Games. "I did make it clear to the team that I wouldn't be coming back this season after the Olympics," Taylor told the Associated Press while practicing at the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament in China. "I want them to be able to get a team together and didn't want to leave any doors open." http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/mercurys_penny_taylor_announce_1.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/mercurys_penny_taylor_announce_1.html Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:53:54 -0500 Yep, the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament game already happened Monday night in Haining, China, even though it's barely 1 p.m. Monday here in Washington. We're getting a little preview of how the time change is going to affect our viewing of the Olympics. Diana Taurasi scored 21 points to lead the Americans over Becky Hammon and her Russian teammates. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Russians upset the U.S. in the 2006 world championship semifinals. Hammon scored 10 points, but the Russians couldn't keep up with their bigger, faster, more talented rivals. As to the match-up with South Dakota-raised Hammon, Katie Smith told the AP: "She made her choice, and that was up to her," the U.S. co-captain said. "We're here to represent our country. We have a nice rivalry with Russia with or without her. It's always been a battle whether she's here or not; we'll http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/us_defeats_russia_monday_night.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/us_defeats_russia_monday_night.html Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:01:41 -0500 Becky Hammon started her career with the Russian national team on a rough note, scoring just three points (all on free throws) in Russia's 75-69 loss to Latvia on Saturday. The teams met in the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament, an Olympic tuneup. Hammon, who missed all six of her shots from the field, and the Russians will next take on the Americans on Monday night. The Americans arrived in China on Saturday and will play Latvia on Sunday. Here's the full write up of Hammon's Russian debut. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/becky_hammon_has_rough_russian.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mystics-insider/2008/08/becky_hammon_has_rough_russian.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:39:10 -0500