Their Poor Play Is Sort of Mystic

By MIKE TERRY

July 27, 2003 12 AM PT

There must be an explanation for the Washington Mystics’ meltdown, going from an Eastern Conference finalist in 2002 to a WNBA doormat in 2003.

They have talent in Chamique Holdsclaw, Stacey Dales-Schuman, Coco Miller, Asjha Jones and Annie Burgess. They are young, athletic and unselfish with the ball. Even Holdsclaw, one of the WNBA’s top players, the league’s leading rebounder and the team’s major threat, tries to keep her teammates in the offensive mix.

But there is one major area where Washington (5-17) comes up short.

Look at the Mystic roster. It is Lilliputian, even by WNBA standards. The four tallest players -- Holdsclaw, Jones, Murriel Page and 2003 first-round pick Aiysha Smith -- all are 6 feet 2. Page is the starting center by default.

Washington probably didn’t expect to miss the retired Vicky Bullett as much as it has.

The 6-3, 185-pound Bullett averaged 6.4 rebounds in six seasons with Charlotte and Washington. Just as important, she was a space eater inside the paint, clearing out opponents so Holdsclaw and Jones could clean up errant shots. And she brought a physical toughness that Washington appears to lack.

The Mystics also badly misjudged their dispersal draft pick. They took Jenny Mowe with the eighth selection. Mowe, who played two seasons with Portland, had the size at 6-5 and 236, but couldn’t fit in with Washington’s running style and was cut in training camp.

In hindsight, the Mystics might have been better served by Elena Baranova, the 6-5, 182-pound Russian selected by New York with the 11th pick.

So the Mystics, who have already endured a franchise record 11-game losing streak, continue to stagger through the WNBA schedule and a probable date in the 2004 lottery. But they have not turned their season into an implosion of finger-pointing and quitting on the court.

“What’s interesting is how well this team gets along off the court,” Dales-Schuman said. “There’s been very little dissension. We didn’t expect to lose this many games, but we’ve never strayed from the feeling that we have something here. That we have talent.”

Holdsclaw agrees: “We have a bunch of mature, confident players. We know we haven’t been playing up to our potential. But we like each other, we have bonded, and that’s different from other years that I’ve been here in Washington.”

How the Mystics play their remaining 14 games will have a lot to do with Marianne Stanley remaining as coach. Holdsclaw, for one, wants her to stay.

“I’ve been through probably five coaches since I’ve been here in Washington,” Holdsclaw said. “I have played for some great coaches and she is one of the best. She and [University of Tennessee’s] Pat [Summitt] are probably the best coaches I’ve played for. Marianne has done her part. It’s up to us to put together 40 minutes of good basketball.”

And Dales-Schuman isn’t ready to junk the 2003 season. For inspiration, she looks to the 2001 Charlotte team that began 1-10 but finished the regular season 18-14 and reached the WNBA finals against the Sparks.

“It won’t be easy. We probably have to win almost every game,” Dales-Schuman said. “But it’s not impossible; we know that. We came back from the All-Star break with this rejuvenated, positive mind-set that we were going to win games. Now it’s a matter of continuing to play with cohesion. That’s the key.”

The trading deadline is Thursday. Only three of the league’s 14 teams -- Phoenix, San Antonio and Washington -- are not in the chase for one of eight playoff slots.

But don’t expect a flurry of activity.

It appears that many teams are still struggling with the salary cap, and how to fit players into it. In addition, most teams were strengthened by the dispersal draft, and figure to get better again with the 2004 college and free-agent draft next April.

“I’d be surprised if there were any blockbusters,” one Western Conference general manager said.

“People seem to want to hold on to what they have.”