8BLACK E8 DAILY 05-19-07 MD SU E8 BLACK E8 Saturday, May 19, 2007 S The Washington Post Professional Basketball Mystics Cut Three, Will Mystics Players By Marc Carig Open With 12 on Roster By Kathy Orton with 6-7 Gillian Goring, their third- Washington Post Staff Writer round draft pick, instead of Miller. Goring is “young,” Hargrove said. The Washington Mystics reduced “At 6-6, 6-7, she’s such a presence. their roster to 12 players yesterday, Her upside is too great. I like Teana releasing Megan Vogel, Rita Wil- Miller. I hope she gets picked up by liams and Teana Miller. Salary cap re- someone.” straints prevent the team from carry- Williams, a 5-6 guard, spent six ing the league-maximum 13 players. years in the WNBA but hasn’t played The decision as to which three for a league team since 2003. Wil- players to cut did not come easily, liams had seven assists and played 30 Mystics General Manager Linda minutes in the Mystics’ exhibition Hargrove said. game against Israeli club team Anda “I guess that’s a good thing, a sign Ramat Hasharon on Sunday. that the players are better, the depth “She’s a veteran point guard, but is greater than it has been in the we love the upside of [second-year past,” Hargrove said. “The last guard] Nikki Blue,” Hargrove said. [cuts] are always the hardest to do.” “We think she’s going to be a star in Vogel, a 5-foot-11 forward out of this league.” South Dakota State, was the team’s With the core of last year’s 18-16 second-round pick in this year’s team returning, the Mystics were draft. Vogel played in the Mystics’ limited in how many players they three exhibition games, making 1 of could add to their lineup. 9 field goal attempts and scoring four “It’s an extremely difficult year to points. make roster spots,” Hargrove said. “She’s just so fundamental, a com- “You have to beat our veteran play- plete player,” Hargrove said. “But ers. Until the league expands, it’s go- [second-year forward] Tamara ing to be like this.” James is a little bit better. She has a As the Mystics open their 10th year experience in the league and season tonight against the Connecti- overseas. Megan could come back a cut Sun at Verizon Center, Hargrove year from now.” is optimistic about Washington’s Miller, a 6-3 center, was acquired prospects. by the Mystics in the Charlotte dis- “I feel really good about our persal draft after playing two years team,” she said. “We’ve got good BY JONATHAN NEWTON — THE WASHINGTON POST with the Sting. Miller sat out last sea- depth, a good blend of veterans and Forward Bernice Mosby is one of the few new faces on the Washington Mystics this season. Mosby is the team’s first-round draft pick out of Baylor. son because of pregnancy. She young players. We have good speed, scored 10 points in three preseason and we’ve added to our size a little games. The Mystics decided to go bit.” Mystics’ Success Depends On Mastery of Playbook 20 ALANA BEARD 55 GILLIAN GORING 9 COCO MILLER 17 CRYSTAL ROBINSON MYSTICS, From E1 sets will help us to execute to per- Position: Guard Position: Center Position: Guard Position: Forward fection.” Ht./Wt.: 5-11, 160 Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 225 Ht./Wt.: 5-9, 140 Ht./Wt.: 5-11, 155 “It continues to grow and Adubato estimates that the Experience: 4th year Experience: Rookie Experience: 7th year Experience: 9th season grow,” Beard said. team runs between 55 and 60 Last season: 19.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, Last season: 10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, Last season: 6.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, Last season: 7.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, Adubato’s mammoth playbook plays, though Beard places the 49.5% FG 53.1% FG (at North Carolina State) 89.7% FT 40.2% FG is the culmination of a life’s work, number closer to 80. Each play in- Strengths: Excellent all-around Strengths: Size makes her an Strengths: Solid, versatile guard is a Strengths: Veteran presence brings a collection of lessons drawn by a cludes several counter-plays or ad- player, one of the WNBA’s elite; true attractive prospect for a team strong first option of the bench; has familiarity to Adubato’s system from seasoned coach who is respected justments that the players must franchise player with natural looking for a post. shown she’s capable of making spot her time in New York. in basketball circles as a wizard of execute during a game, which leadership and scoring ability. Big question: Can she grow into a start. Big question: How productive can X’s and O’s. But most importantly, means that the number of actual Big question: As she hits what post player who can provide depth Big question: As the talent level she still be as she nears the end of Adubato’s system could be the key plays can grow exponentially. should be the prime of her career, someday? around her rises, can the team’s her career? to the Washington Mystics making “You can’t even count the num- will her immense skills be enough to longest tenured player continue to a run at a WNBA championship. ber,” point guard Nikki Teasley finally turn the franchise into a keep pace? “It’s very well thought out,” said. consistent winner? Mystics forward DeLisha Milton- Teasley, a veteran player and Jones said. “And when we execute one of the league’s elite point it to a T, everybody gets open op- guards, needed an entire season of portunities. And in this game, you preparation to comprehend the need as many wide-open looks as seemingly boundless system of op- you can possibly get.” tions and counter-options. Upon As the Mystics begin their 10th her first glance of it, first-round season today against Connecticut draft pick Bernice Mosby thought 12 LAURIE KOEHN 43 NAKIA SANFORD at Verizon Center, stability reigns for a moment that she had signed Position: Guard Position: Center for the first time in the franchise’s up for the wrong sport. “I thought Ht./Wt.: 5-8, 145 3 DELISHA MILTON-JONES Ht./Wt.: 6-4, 200 tumultuous history. I was on the football team,” Mosby 32 NIKKI BLUE Experience: 3rd year Position: Power forward Experience: 5th season K The core group of players from said of the playbook, which meas- Position: Point guard Last season: 2.2 ppg, 50% FG, Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 185 Last season: 8.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.6 last year’s franchise-best 18-16 ures about three inches thick. Ht./Wt.: 5-8, 160 52.4% 3-pt. Experience: 9th year bpg playoff team returns virtually in- “And I was going to be the quarter- Experience: 2nd year Strengths: Has used her pure Last Season: 14.6 ppg, 47.2% FG, Strengths: Invaluable off the bench tact, breaking what had been a cy- back.” Last season: 2.3 ppg, 1.5 apg, shooting ability to carve a niche as a 43% 3-pt. as the team’s top post reserve; cle of near-total makeovers. As a Adubato’s offensive sets include 80.6% FT three-point threat off the bench. Strengths: Proven, productive proved herself capable of playing result, for the first time in Wash- influences from the heavy passing Strengths: Young player who could Big question: Has her game veteran player brings calming productive minutes. ington, Adubato has a group that game, the motion offense and iso- develop into a very good point guard become well rounded enough to log influence; functions well as a Big question: Can she repeat or has deep knowledge of his system. lation sets. His defensive schemes with more experience. more minutes? secondary scoring threat. improve upon last year’s breakout K In her fourth season, guard include a mix of both man and Big question: How much of an Big question: Can she come close season? Beard has established herself as zone. Because of the playbook’s effect will missing all of training camp to career-high scoring average from the franchise player that the team sheer size, the learning curve is and preseason with a knee injury have last year? has lacked since the much-pub- steep, with players sometimes go- on her overall progression? licized departure of Chamique ing whole seasons without ever Holdsclaw in 2005. feeling totally comfortable. K General Manager Linda Har- But he maintains the wide vari- grove begins her third season, ety in hopes of overwhelming op- while managing partner Sheila ponents, who must also prepare to Johnson begins her second full face the schemes. season at the top of the organiza- “The more things that they have tion. Adubato starts his third year to prepare for, the less time they 44 CHASITY MELVIN on the Mystics sideline, ending have to prepare for what they do,” Position: Center 42 NIKKI TEASLEY what had been a coaching carou- Adubato said. “They have to be Position: Point guard Ht./Wt.: 6-3, 189 sel. ready for everything we throw at Ht./Wt.: 6-0, 169 Experience: 9th year 33 BERNICE MOSBY But perhaps the most tangible them and there’s not enough Position: Power forward Experience: 6th season 2 TAMARA JAMES Last season: 11.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, effect of that newfound stability is hours in the day.” Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 165 Last season: 10.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, Position: Guard/forward 52% FG the Mystics’ confidence in their But the key is still execution, Experience: Rookie 5.4 apg Ht./Wt.: 5-10, 160 Strengths: Great rebounder who ability to sharply execute Aduba- and the Mystics believe they can Last season: 17.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg, Strengths: Washington native is a Experience: 2nd year uses skill and size to get in good to’s complicated, detail-oriented meet Adubato’s expectation of 46.3% FG (at Baylor) classic point guard — great passer, Last season: 2.7 ppg, 0.8 rpg, position; solid ability near the system.