Short four projected starters, the Mystics plan to come out firing for a WNBA title repeat
Then came the novel coronavirus pandemic. The sport shut down, plans changed and now the Mystics, along with the rest of the league, are sequestered in the WNBA’s bubble in Bradenton, Fla., getting ready for a shortened 22-game season.
And that stacked roster? Thibault could be without four of his projected starters when the Mystics open their season Saturday against the Indiana Fever. First, Natasha Cloud opted out to focus on social justice issues, and LaToya Sanders opted out for health and family reasons. Later, Delle Donne and Charles each submitted medical information and applied for an exemption from playing because of preexisting conditions. Charles was granted the exemption Friday, and while Delle Donne was denied, she is also not expected to play.
“A lot of the offseason planning went out the window,” Thibault said. “You have to try to do some things different. I told our players to be prepared to do some experimenting.”
Despite the uncertainty, Thibault has been particularly upbeat. He has approached the bubble as the unusual situation it is, keeping perspective in a global climate that bears little resemblance to the one in which the Mystics raised a trophy in October. The pandemic has claimed more than 135,000 American lives, and protests in the wake of George Floyd being killed while in police custody in Minneapolis also have dominated the news. Thibault wants his players to be appreciative that they are paid to play basketball.
The Mystics may have entered the bubble without the talent advantage they once enjoyed, but also largely gone is the pressure that comes with defending a title.
“It feels a little different. I’m not going to lie,” forward Aerial Powers said. “It’s not the same right now. … But for me, when it comes down to it, I’m still trying to win a championship no matter who’s playing, no matter how many games. If y’all say we’ve got a chance to still win a championship, well … I’m going for it. Period.”
One player likely to benefit from the roster turnover is Emma Meesseman, now the Mystics’ primary threat in the post. The MVP of last year’s Finals, Meesseman was the team’s second-leading scorer last season (13.1 points per game) and could see her minutes rise with the absence of Delle Donne, Charles and Sanders. Thibault said he has seen “playoff Emma” in the early portion of training camp and likes the “aggressiveness to her.”
Powers (11.4 points per game) and guard Ariel Atkins (10.3) also will both get more opportunities within the offense. Forward Tianna Hawkins should see her role expand as well after she posted a career high in points per game (9.5) and matched a career high in rebounds per game (4.2) in 2019.
The Mystics lost starter Kristi Toliver to free agency and backup guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough as part of the deal that landed Charles. Those departures, coupled with the opt-outs, have created opportunities for newcomers. Veteran guard Leilani Mitchell was a “prime target” for Thibault even before the departure of Toliver. She was named the league’s most improved player in 2019 after she posted career highs of 12.8 points and 4.0 assists per game for Phoenix.
The Mystics also signed 12-year veteran Essence Carson, and her leadership skills are proving to be more valuable in the current environment, Thibault said. She has the ability to play four positions and was an all-star in 2011.
Alaina Coates, a 6-foot-4 center, will have the chance to restart her career after she signed in late June. The No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft, who is now on her fourth team, missed her entire rookie season with an ankle injury and has struggled since.
The early focus of training camp has been on defense, but Thibault expects to feature an offense that may be unfamiliar to fans watching from home.
“We led the league in three-point shots last year, [but] we might take even more this year,” Thibault said. “We might just be firing at will. … It may be as simple as just trying to outscore everybody. I don’t know. I don’t like to throw out the idea of defense, but we are going to be different. [The absences] really caused a change in our thinking about how we have to do things because a lot of what we planned this offseason was around that post group that we had.”
The tricky part of a season in the bubble could be going with just 10 active players for the duration. Players such as Charles who opt out with an exemption count against the salary cap and the roster. Delle Donne, even after she was denied an exemption, also continues to be paid and count against the cap as she rehabs from back surgery. So the coaching staff has actively monitored how hard it pushes players, especially after so much time off because of the pandemic. Workouts have purposely been kept short.
The organization held a private, socially distant ring ceremony last month before heading to Florida, but it will present Fever Coach Marianne Stanley with her ring before Saturday’s season opener. Stanley was Thibault’s top assistant last season.
After that brief ceremony, the whistle will blow and the title defense will officially begin — in circumstances few could have envisioned after the Mystics hoisted the trophy in October.
“The mind-set is still the same. We still want to compete,” Hawkins said. “Regardless of the personnel we have … while we’re here together, we have a common goal. We want to win. We want to compete.”
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