Washington enters the playoffs as top seed in the East
The Washington Mystics and Atlanta Dream aren’t nearly as far apart as their respective top and bottom seeds in the WNBA Eastern Conference would indicate at first glance.
Both teams have either been rebuilt — or in Atlanta’s case, built, since they joined the WNBA in 2008 — in the last two seasons. Neither has ever been to the WNBA Finals and both were ousted in the first round of the playoffs last summer, giving each squad particular motivation to get out of the first round this year.
“We know how tough the playoffs are,” Mystics wing Monique Currie said. “I think the second part of the season has been what the playoffs will be like, in that every game was important and the East was so close.”
The Mystics (22-12) and Dream (19-15) do differ in that they occupied opposite parts of the spectrum over the final part of the regular season. Washington closed with six wins in a row to claim the crucial home-court advantage, while Atlanta lost six of its last seven games after winning six in a row to start the year.
“We have the same nucleus back so we’re confident in our abilities and playing well,” Mystics head coach Julie Plank said.
The Mystics won the regular season series, 3-1, but they haven’t quite been able to stop Atlanta guard Angel McCoughtry, who averaged 23.8 points in those contests.
Washington last advanced to the conference finals in 2002, when current assistant coach Marianne Stanley was the Mystics head coach.
