10.23Overhauling the Washington Mystics
After a 10-24 season, the Mystics are looking for new ideas to bring change to the club. The Mystics missed the playoffs for the last 2 seasons and team President Sheila Johnson has promised changes for the 2009 season, saying in August, “We cannot continue on this path.”
The franchise has begun with a new General Manager, Angela Taylor. Taylor replaces Linda Hargrove, who was fired as Washington’s general manager last month after a season that ended with a nine-game losing streak.
Is Taylor up to the task of turning the Mystics around?
Taylor’s resume includes the Mysitcs V.P. of Business Operations for the last 2 seasons and working in the WNBA league office for 10 years. She also played ball at Stanford, became an assistant coach there and at Texad A&M.
This could be Taylor’s dream job
As a kid she wanted to be GM of the Chicago Bulls. Up till now she’s been more on the business end of basketball.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved on the basketball side. It’s been a passion of mine.”
First Up for the New GM
Hiring in the next head coach, which will be the 11th head coach in the franchise’s 12 season history, will be first priority and should be named and signed before mid November. Taylor wants to find a coach who is “a great teacher of the game, a great communicator.”
“We want to find the best person for the job,” Taylor said. “It could be a male, it could be a female, it could be a minority, it could be a Caucasian.”
Well whoever the new coach is I hope they can bring a new life into the Mystics game. We have the talent to be one of the best in the East. And we need a coach that believes in these women and the team.
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I disagree with wnbajunkie. I do not feel the current roster is talented enough to compete with the top teams in the WNBA. You have players who are too slow for this league and can’t get open shots. Some of them have their shots blocked alot.
October 24th, 2008 at 9:03 am
The evolution of the WNBA over the last 2-3 years has been with speed and athleticism not seen in women’s professional basketball before. Players like Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, and Deanna Nolan are extremely fun to watch. They are masters of their craft.
But it’s not to say that the Mystics can’t do the same. I think the failure of the Mystics to become a winning ball club is the lack of leadership in the management/ownership and coaching.
How can you expect players to rise to a new level when they have had 11 coaches in 12 seasons?
The most successful teams in the W have the advantage of having tremendous support from their coaching staff and management.
October 24th, 2008 at 10:56 am