Game Info

Verizon Center | 7pm | Broadcast: Monumental Sports Network | #MysticsLiberty Tickets | Season Preview

Projected Lineup 

Mystics: G – Cloud, G – Hill, G – Copper, F – Meesseman, C – Dolson

Liberty: G – Wright, G – Boyd, G – Rodgers, F – Charles, C – Swords

Season Opener

The season is finally here!

The Mystics get set to kick off their 2016 campaign as they play host to the visiting New York Liberty on Saturday night at Verizon Center.

These two teams know each other well, and in fact, the last time the Mystics played in a competitive setting it was against this same Liberty team in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

After beating the Liberty in New York in Game 1, the Mystics weren’t able to seal a series win as the Liberty came back to beat the ‘Stics 2-1 and advance to the Conference Finals.

Head coach Mike Thibault hopes that having much of his core back, who went through those battles last season, will pay dividends in the end.

“I think you have to go through the experiences of the playoffs whether its win or lose, you have to get your feet wet, now they’ve been through the process they know the mistakes they made…. So I think this group has the confidence in knowing we’ve been through this and now we know what to do.”

Injury Report 

The Mystics will be without Ivory Latta (knee) and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (ankle) for the opener.  After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her right knee, Latta has been rehabbing throughout training camp and could be ready to play next week.  Ruffin-Pratt suffered an ankle sprain in the team’s preseason game in Minnesota and Thibault was optimistic she would not miss extended time. Newcomer Zoi Dimitrakou (knee) will be questionable with a knee injury.

The Liberty will be without their star, Epiphany Prince (knee), who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in the offseason.

Youth Movement

The Mystics projected starting lineup  for opening night will have an average age of about 23 years old.  At age 25 and entering her fourth season in the WNBA, Tayler Hill will be the oldest player on the court for the home team. The Mystics will feature five starters who were drafted by Thibault over the last four years (Hill – 2013, Meesseman – 2013, Dolson – 2014, Cloud – 2015, Copper 2016).

Depth on Front Lines

Both these teams have plenty of depth in their frontcourt, something Thibault alluded to when discussing Saturday night’s matchup.

“The biggest key will be rebounding the ball and not giving those players second chance opportunities.  They are a good offensive rebounding team and a really good defensive team, Stokes, Swords, Tina and Zahui B are going to try and control the lane and block shots and we’ll have to keep the floor spaced well and make them come out of their comfort zone a little bit.  The matchups there are a little bit of a chess match, and both teams feel they have depth at the post so that will be an interesting thing to see as the game goes on.”

The Liberty led the league in rebounding last season (36.7 rpg) while the Mystics finished ninth (32.3) and that has been a point of emphasis all camp long from Thibault.  If the Mystics can neutralize the Liberty on the glass, it will bode well for their chance at a win.

Thibault also noted how Zahui B changes the dynamic of the Liberty’s frontcourt because of her ability to step out and shoot from the perimeter, something they didn’t really have with their posts from a year ago.

“Zahui B. will be a little bit of a wild card because now it’s a post that can play on the block and step out.  Stokes and Swords have limited shooting range where Zahui B. can make the three so that will stretch the floor a bit for them.  I don’t know how much of an effect that will have in a couple of days but it will as the season goes on,” said the Mystics head coach.

The Liberty just acquired Zahui B. earlier this week, so she may not be fully integrated into the Liberty’s system yet, but that will likely come with time.

Who’s New? 

The Mystics’ lineup will look familiar to the one they used last year, with one key difference; rookie Kahleah Copper.  After taking her seventh overall in this year’s WNBA Draft, Copper will likely jump right into the starting lineup on opening night.  She had an excellent preseason and a strong camp, and may very well find herself logging big minutes for the Mystics to begin her career.

The Liberty have been busy wheeling and dealing as they get their roster set for the season.  They added former all-stars Lindsey Harding and Shoni Schimmel, along with last year’s number two overall pick Amanda Zahui B. They also added veteran guard Shavonte Zellous and drafted Adut Bulgak and Ameryst Alston in this year’s draft.

How They Fared Last Season

The Mystics beat the Liberty 3-1 in the regular season series, but were then beaten 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

The Liberty were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and at 23-11 set a franchise record for wins.

The two teams will meet again at Verizon Center on July 20th and then in New York on September 13th.