Game Info 

Verizon Center | 7pm | Broadcast: Monumental Sports Network | #MysticsSparks Tickets

Projected Lineup 

Mystics (0-2): G – Cloud, G – Hill, F – Meesseman, F – Vaughn, C – Dolson

Sparks: (1-0): G – Toliver, G – Beard, F – Carson F – Ogwumike, C – Parker

It Doesn’t Get Any Easier

The Mystics have dropped their first two games of the season and unfortunately the road ahead won’t be any easier for a team trying to get healthy and find their groove.

The team will play the front end of a back-to-back on Friday night when they host the Sparks and then fly to Connecticut on Saturday morning to play their first road game of the season against the Sun later that night.  The Sparks beat the Storm in their first and only game of the season last weekend, while the Sun got their first win on Thursday afternoon in San Antonio.    The Mystics will then head west to take on the Storm and Phoenix Mercury next week.

“Tomorrow morning we get back on the court and prepare for L.A. and that’s the cruelty of pro basketball; you don’t have time to dwell on the past because the next one’s right in front of you, and not only is it right in front of us but we have a back-to-back against two good teams,” said head coach Mike Thibault following Wednesday’s loss to Dallas.

The ‘Stics will likely have to get their first win without Ivory Latta (knee), Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (ankle), or Ally Malott (elbow), who all missed Wednesday night’s game against Dallas and none are expected to be ready for the weekend back-to-back.

Thibault had to juggle his lineup on Wednesday night to try and find one that worked well together and one that had five healthy players. He alluded to Natasha Cloud’s back tightening up in the postgame presser, which limited her minutes, Kahleah Copper had to play as a reserve because of a sprained ankle she suffered on Tuesday, and rookie Zoi Dimitrakou played just over three minutes in her WNBA debut after she was coming off a knee injury.  He may have to try and find a lineup that can grind out a win until the team can get to full strength.  “It’s trying to find five people together right now who are playing well at both ends of the court and we’re searching a little bit,” said Thibault.

Bright Spots

Even though the team has yet to land in the win column, there have been some bright spots through the first week of the season.  Nobody has improved more than shooting guard Tayler Hill, who has tied her career high of 20 points in each of the team’s first two games of the season.  Hill had only scored 20 points in a game once in her previous three years in the league.  She also shot a career-high 15 free-throws in Wednesday night’s game, a result of her aggressiveness on the offensive end.  She spent the offseason in DC, working out with the staff and so far the returns look to be large.

“The biggest difference for me was this offseason, working with Coach Eric [Thibault] and being with the coaches for the whole offseason was big for me.  Eric is great, he got me to where I needed to be, and he has a lot to do with this and my confidence for this season,” said Hill after Wednesday’s game.

“Confidence and doing work, players feel that way when they have put in the work to be good. She put in the time during the off-season to be a better player. And it shows,” said head coach Mike Thibault when asked about Hill’s hot start.

Hill, who was drafted fourth overall in the hyped ‘Big 3’ WNBA Draft back in 2013, may be primed for a breakout season with the Mystics.

Also selected in that 2013 draft, but in the second round, was Emma Meesseman.   After a quiet first game, she looked more like her all-star self on Wednesday night, scoring 19 points on 9/13 shooting while pulling down seven boards.  If the Mystics are going to accomplish their goals in 2016, they’ll need Meesseman to be great, and she played her part in giving the Mystics a chance against Dallas.

Sparks Well Rested 

The Sparks have had four days off since they last played and Friday night’s game will be their first of a four-game East Coast road trip.  In their only previous game of the season, they dismantled the Seattle Storm, 96-66, in Los Angeles.  Candace Parker scored a game-high 34 points while the team shot 55% from the field in the win.

The Sparks went 14-20 last season, due in large part to Parker sitting out the first half of the season to rest her body and Nneka Ogwumike missing time due to an injured ankle.

Now at full strength, they’ll be one of the teams to beat in 2016 and the Mystics will have their hands full in this Friday night showdown.

The two teams split the season series last year, 1-1, both winning on their home floor.  They’ll meet again on July 10th in Los Angeles and for the final time on July 22nd back in DC.