Game Info
Verizon Center | 11:30 AM | WATCH: Monumental Sports Network | #MysticsStars Tickets | Mystics Minute – Stef Dolson | Coaches’ Corner
Projected Lineups
Mystics (8-8): G – Cloud, G – Hill, F – Ruffin-Pratt, F – Meesseman, C – Dolson
Stars (3-11): G – Jefferson, G – McBride, F – Currie, F – Hamby, C – Marinelli
Wrapping the Homestand
When the Mystics began this current homestand 11 days ago, they were still searching for their first home win. Fast-forward to today’s matinee with the Stars, and they have now won three of four at home and six of their last eight overall. At 8-8, they are now 5th in the WNBA in the standings and trending in the right direction.
Head Coach Mike Thibault said the goal at the beginning of this five game homestand was to take four out of five and now that opportunity presents itself with the last place Stars in town.
The Mystics are coming off maybe their most impressive win of the season on Sunday when they annihilated the then first-place Lynx 87-63. The ‘Stics jumped on Minnesota early, opening the game on a 33-13 run and never looked back, holding the Lynx to just 38% shooting and holding their vaunted backcourt of Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus scoreless. As they have for much of this season, Emma Meesseman (20 points) and Tayler Hill (17 points) carried the scoring load and the team made 11 3-pointers in the win.
Bringing Energy
“I’ve really liked our energy level for every game on this homestand, we’ve had a couple bad quarters here and there but in general we’ve played at a good pace on offense and we’ve been much more aggressive defensively, we’ve had more steals more deflections and that comes from being energized and being alert,” said Thibault.
But with an 11:30 start, the routines a little bit off, and the team coming off a big win over Minnesota, the signs are there for what could be a flat start on Wednesday, something Thibault wants to avoid.
“My whole thing before the game will be to make sure we come out with high energy,” he emphasized.
The team will certainly get a boost from the many young fans in attendance as each year the Camp Day crowds are always the noisiest.
Stars Enter Winless on Road
The Stars are still in what many would consider rebuilding mode as they enter Wednesday’s game at 3-11 and 0-6 on the road. They do have an exciting young backcourt to build around in Kayla McBride and Moriah Jefferson. McBride ranks fifth in the W in scoring (18.6 ppg) and the rookie Jeffferson ranks fifth in assists (4.6 apg), but they are still young pieces to a team that should be more competitive in a few years from now. However, despite their record, the team is coming off an impressive win over the Dream last Saturday and before that had three straight competitive road losses, so this is a team capable of an upset and the Mystics will need to come out ready to play. They also have veteran forward and former Mystic Monique Currie in their lineup and she always wants to play well when she returns to her hometown.
The action tips at 11:30am.