At times during the first half of the WNBA season, the Washington Mystics looked like a championship contender. At other times they looked a like a team that catches the postseason on TV. And their record — 10-10 — pretty much reflects that schism.
Here is a midseason breakdown of the Mystics:
Most Valuable Player: Ranked in the league’s top 10 in points (18.2) and steals (1.7) per game and field goal percentage (49.6), shooting guard Alana Beard makes the second All-Star Game appearance of her career Wednesday night in New York City. A sprained right ankle on the team’s recent road trip sidelined her for two games and slowed her high-flying game a bit. But Beard said she expects to bounce back after the break.
Biggest Disappointment: A knee injury to versatile power forward DeLisha Milton-Jones on June 17 sent the team into a tailspin. The Mystics lost seven of their next 10 games and fell from first to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Milton-Jones is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, but Mystics brass is hopeful to have her back for the playoffs.
Biggest Surprise: In the wake of Milton-Jones’ injury, Coach Richie Adubato inserted forward Nakia Sanford into the starting lineup. Sanford, an occasional Mystics starter in 2004, is averaging 11.7 points per game as a starter, up from 6.7 as a reserve. She scored a career-high 25-points in Sunday’s win over the Chicago Sky.
Biggest Question for the Second Half: Can the Mystics improve their play on the road? While boasting an impressive 8-2 record at Verizon Center, they are an equally unimpressive 2-8 on the road, including 1-3 on their recent road trip. Of the nine teams to win WNBA championships, none had more than 11 road losses. That means the Mystics need to find a way to get some wins away from home to keep their flickering championship dreams alive.
