Mystics Are Struggling This Season

In 2004, the Washington Mystics made the playoff even after losing Chamique Holdsclaw at the latter part of the season due to health reasons. Rookie Alana Beard (2004 Rookie of the Year) became the new offensive star on the team.

The 2005 season got off to a rocky start both on and off the court. There were major changes in the front office. The new coach and new general manager brought in new faces with the hope of doing well this season.  The team won the first game at Charlotte ,   lost their opening game at home and lost Alana Beard, their best offensive player, due to a sprained ankle. The coach then introduced his New York coaching experience to Washington , and before you knew it, they were losing most of their games. Attendance also began to decline.



Photo by Andre Williams
Mystics center Chasity Melvin (44) and teammate Delisha Milton-Jones (3) battle Sacramento Monarchs center Yolanda Griffith for rebound.

Photo by Andre Williams
Mystics rookie guard Temeka Johnson pulls down a high bounce down to start a fast break with teammate Coco Miller (9) in their game against the Sacramento Monarchs.

With the return of Alana Beard, the pressure was on her to get some wins. Since she had missed so many games, it took a few games for her to get her touch. Recently, the Mystics (3-6) started to play as a unit, defeating visiting Indiana (7-3) 88-78. Phoenix Mercury was defeated 77-56 and the team was one game away from the 500 mark. Sacramento (9-3), one of the better teams in the Western Conference, defeated the Mystics 62-57 last Sunday. The score didn’t reflect the team's performance, trailing by 18 points and tying the score at one point.

Coach Richie Adubato said, "Everything has to go right for you to come back from a deficit like that and it almost did." The Mystics play Charlotte and Detroit at home then go on a five game West Coast road trip. It is almost midseason and now is the time for the Mystics to start winning or they will be losing most of their fans.