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After losing their first 12 games of the season, the word “playoffs” was nowhere near the minds of Washington Mystics fans. Now, though, the Mystics sit just one game behind the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot.
With seven games left, Washington has enough time to sneak in, via CBS Sports' Jack Maloney.
“The Mystics' three-game winning streak came to an end Saturday against the [Connecticut] Sun, but they bounced right back and beat the [Dallas] Wings on the road,” Maloney said. “Winners of four of five, they are suddenly just one game back of the Sky and Dream, with three combined games remaining against those clubs. It is now a real possibility that they make the playoffs despite starting the season 0-12.”
Maloney listed the Sky, Dream, Mystics, and Wings as the teams battling for the final spot, and described Chicago as a squad hanging on for dear life. Meanwhile, Atlanta hasn't been able to separate itself, as it's just 1-5 in its last six games.
That leaves a surging Washington squad that came into the season with a rebuilding mindset but might leave it with a better outcome than it ever imagined. How have the Mystics pulled off this turnaround, and how can they keep it going to secure a playoff spot?
The Mystics must commit to a competitive mindset
While Washington has been playing like a playoff team recently, head coach Eric Thibault isn't focusing on the standings, via The Washington Post's Kareem Copeland.
“Mystics Coach Eric Thibault has been adamant that he’s not talking to the team about the standings,” Copeland said. “He has said they haven’t talked about it all season and he’s not going to start now. The focus has been on playing well game in, game out while getting long looks to evaluate younger players.”
While it's understandable for an organization to focus on the future, adaptability is key. If a team develops faster than initially expected, there's nothing wrong with adjusting expectations accordingly.
The Mystics have improved largely thanks to their ball movement, efficiency, and perimeter defense. They shot 40% from downtown against Dallas, while the Wings shot just 22%.
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“I thought the tempo we played at, not just transition tempo but in the half-court, the ball just didn’t stick anywhere,” Thibault said. “And it really helps when you can turn them over. They’re big, so you’ve got to try to get them in transition a little bit going the other way. I just liked our activity level. Guarding [Teaira] McCowan and Kalani Brown and [Natasha] Howard and [Satou] Sabally, those guys are just tough. You’ve just got to keep battling.”
Washington has shot over 38% from three in each of its last three games and has had a different scoring leader in each of the last four contests.
“I just thought our persistence and just sticking with it, helping when we needed to help and then trying to turn some of those deflections and rebounds into opportunities going the other way,” Thibault continued.
One aspect that the Mystics could still improve on is rebounding, as they've lost the battle on the glass the last three games. If they can clean up that area of their game while also maintaining their efficiency and ball movement, they'll be a formidable opponent the rest of the way.
Additionally, veteran guard Ariel Atkins must be the steady hand offensively. As the team's scoring leader (15.3 points per game) and best player, the 28-year-old must keep being a reliable option as the “closer,” or the person who leads the scoring charge at the end of close games.
While ball movement is healthy, it's also appropriate for basketball players to be selfish in certain moments. While other players may have better games than Atkins on certain days, she should get the ball in high-leverage situations if there's no other hot hand.
As the playoffs get closer, Thibault should consider his stance on the standings. Handling success is essential to building a winning culture, and part of that is acknowledging the current reality. Washington is a different team than it was early on, with its win over the Seattle Storm on August 26 showing that it can beat top-five WNBA squads on any given day.
While evaluating players for the future is still vital, it's possible to do two things at once. Getting young players playoff experience helps them gain confidence in important games, and there's nothing that can replace that. If the team is capable of making noise, why not set that as a goal?
