鈥淲hatever鈥檚 right in front of you is all that counts.鈥�
That鈥檚 the mantra head coach Mike Thibault delivered to this year鈥檚 Washington Mystics, a team with plenty to be excited about in 2019.
Last year, the Mystics advanced to the WNBA Finals for the first time. They saw their core gel at just the right time, only to watch the season be nearly derailed by injury, all while the finishing touches were being put on their new arena. They were rendered playoff nomads, playing games at the Smith Center on the George Washington campus, then EagleBank Arena in Fairfax.
While they were swept in the finals 鈥� with Elena Delle Donne still nursing an injured knee 鈥� the future looked bright, with excitement building for the opening of their new arena.
At long last, that day is here. The Mystics host the Atlanta Dream in a Conference Finals rematch Saturday at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southeast D.C.
That鈥檚 not to say the road to Saturday has been without its bumps. Already missing Delle Donne with a sore knee in the season opener in Connecticut last weekend, the Mystics saw point guard Kristi Tolliver suffer a thigh contusion, leaving early in an 84-69 loss. Both players are on the mend, though, with Delle Donne going through a full practice Tuesday and Tolliver shooting and running drills this week in hopes of returning for the home opener.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping she鈥檚 starting to feel better, she鈥檚 moving a lot better,鈥� said Delle Donne of Tolliver. 鈥淪he鈥檚 super tough, so I know if she鈥檚 able to play, she will.鈥�
When the defending champion Seattle Storm lost Brianna Stewart to a season-ending torn Achilles injury in April, the Mystics became a less-than-prohibitive-favorite to win the wide open league, but a favorite nonetheless. But Thibault wasn鈥檛 interested in what anybody else thought.
鈥淛ust because everybody says that you鈥檙e the favorite, that means zero,鈥� he said.
Thibault also indicated that we may not get a comprehensive look at just what the team could look like come playoff time for quite a while. In addition to players on the mend, forward Emma Meesseman will be competing abroad in EuroBasket 2019 in late June/early July. The team made do without her at all last year, but having her in the mix down the stretch can only add to their chances.
All of that can wait, though. First up, it鈥檚 time to break in the new digs. The team has been enjoying use of the on-site practice courts and treatment center all offseason, but it will be a different story competing under the lights Saturday night.
鈥淚 think once we play our first game out there and the crowd鈥檚 rocking, it will be a nice 鈥榳elcome home鈥� kind of feel,鈥� said Delle Donne.
On Thursday, The Atlantic held a summit on athletes and activism, during which both Tolliver and teammate Natasha Cloud spoke as part of a panel discussion. For Thibault, that made the actuality of Saturday feel real.
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 thought about it until everybody started talking about it today, at the event,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll of the sudden it鈥檚 like, 鈥極h, yeah, OK, we鈥檙e really going to do this now.鈥欌��
The 4,200-seat arena offers the chance for a more compact setting like the one the Mystics experienced at Smith Center (capacity 5,000) last year in the playoffs.
鈥淭hat was awesome, we loved playing there,鈥� said Delle Donne. 鈥淚f it can feel like that, that will be quite the atmosphere for every home game 鈥� I think it makes it more fun for the crowd, too, to feel like they鈥檙e making an impact.鈥�
The team is close to a sellout for Saturday鈥檚 opener, and is throwing a free block party with music, food, clinics, and appearances by former stars, open to the public starting at 2 p.m. and running up through a half-hour before the 7 p.m. tip. Thibault sees all of it 鈥� the building, the Atlantic event, the party 鈥� as signs of a long-lasting embrace of the team by the city.
鈥淭hey matter,鈥� he said of the players. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e important to the organization, they鈥檙e important to the city, and people want them to be successful. I think, as a player, you get that sense every day when you walk in here that, OK, we have something special going.鈥�
