After an inconsistent and injury-plagued regular season, the Washington Mystics aim to topple the top-seeded Connecticut Sun in the best-of-three games first round of the WNBA playoffs, which begin tonight at Verizon Center. Connecticut won the season series, 2-1, with each team winning at home.
Why the Sun will win: WNBA Finalists in 2004 and 2005, Connecticut is looking to take the next step and win a championship. And with a record of 14-3 at home and 12-5 on the road, including a late-season 12-game winning streak, the Sun is a dominant team no matter where they play. Having 10 players who play meaningful minutes allows Connecticut to use a deep and balanced attack against their opponents.
“They have a lot of balance, they have a lot of size, they play excellent defense and they are very well coached,” Mystics Coach Richie Adubato said.
Why the Mystics will win: After a 7-3 start, the Mystics faltered after injuries to starters DeLisha Milton-Jones and Alana Beard, but with both healthy at the end of the regular season, Washington has shown flashes of its early success. Playing the heavily favored Sun takes almost all the pressure off Washington, and if the Mystics win the first game of the series at home, anything can happen.
“If we take care of what we do, we have a chance,” Mystics center Chasity Melvin said. “Playoffs are all about playing well together, playing good defense and, of course, a little bit of luck.”
Connecticut Sun (26-8) at Mystics (18-16)
» Where: Verizon Center
» When: Tonight, 7
» TV: NBA TV
» Radio: WWRC-1260 AM
Key Players
Sun: Katie Douglas, guard
This year’s All-Star MVP stepped up her game a notch against the Mystics, averaging 21.3 points in the teams’ three meetings this season, up almost five points from her season average. She has the task of guarding Mystics All-Star Alana Beard. But Douglas is coming off a calf injury that forced her to rest during Connecticut’s last two games of the regular season, and it is unclear how she continues to be affected by the injury.
Mystics: Alana Beard, guard
Beard averaged 21 points against the Sun this season, thanks mainly to her 29-point outburst in the teams’ first meeting this season; in the subsequent games she scored only 15 points and nine points. In order for Washington to have a chance of advancing, Beard is going to have to put up big numbers on offense while also stifling Douglas on the defensive end.
On the matchup between Beard and Douglas: “I think it’ll be a great matchup,” Sun Coach Mike Thibault said. “You’re talking about two of the better defenders in the league playing against each other, so they’ll make each other work.”
