Following the Washington Mystics’ 21-point loss to the Indiana Fever on June 13, the team dropped to 5-4. The team had just lost 87-66 and in the postgame presser, head coach Eric Thibault left a resounding message about why the team continued to struggle offensively.
“I thought we got bogged down sometimes … sometimes of our own making. Too many possessions again where one person puts the ball on the floor and the possession stops. You know I think everybody on the team has echoed the fact that that’s not the way we should play when we want to be successful and yet it’s happening …”
Message sent, message delivered.
Since that loss, the Mystics have posted 113, 104, and 101 offensive ratings in their last three games. So how did they flip the switch?
For starters, the Mystics rank eighth in the league in team assists per game. Creating good looks all around has been an absolute struggle. The reason for this is multifaceted.
It’s hard to truly gauge WNBA advanced statistics because they are so limited, but one of the biggest issues plaguing the Mystics this season has been efficiency across the board. Getting to the rim and finishing at the rim has been atrocious and part of that is because of poor guard play to start the season. As great as Natasha Cloud…
