With the start of the playoffs just over a week away, the Mystics are bouncing between two different starting line-ups until they can get forward Crystal Robinson back from an ankle injury she suffered against Indiana on July 29.
In three out the four games since, Mystics coach Richie Adubato started Nakia Sanford at power forward and slid DeLisha Milton-Jones to small forward. In their double-overtime loss at Sacramento on Saturday, Adubato debuted a smaller lineup with Coco Miller at shooting guard and All-Star Alana Beard at small forward. Washington is 2-1 with the bigger lineup and 0-1 when it goes small. Mystics point guard Nikki Teasley said mixing up the lineups has not hurt the team.
“There are advantages to both lineups,” Teasley said. “When we’re bigger we cause a lot of mismatch problems … When we go smaller I think Coco gives us a lot of defensive tenacity.”
Mystics assistant coach Marynell Meadors said the team plans to use the smaller lineup tonight against the Silver Stars. This is the second meeting between the teams this season; the Mystics won in San Antonio, 80-77, on July 21.
Washington general manager Linda Hargrove said will not play against San Antonio but the team is hopeful she will return before the end of the season.
Mystics (16-15) vs. San Antonio Silver Stars (12-19)
» Where: Verizon Center
» When: Tonight, 7
» TV: Comcast SportsNet
» Radio: WWRC-1260
