Mystics vs. Dream Game 2 Pregame: Getting Back to the Basics
“It’s never over till it’s over”
Those wise words from Sonia Citron capture the competitive nature of the Washington Mystics as they return to their foundations ahead of a do-or-die Game 2.
FT’s, Turnovers, and Defense
Game 1 in Atlanta was highlighted by a third quarter in which the Dream outscored the Mystics 29-12 and forced six turnovers for the third straight quarter.
Add that to the Mystics going 6-of-11 from the foul line in the period, and 3-of-15 from the field, you have a perfect recipe for a run that allowed the Dream to command the game.
Sonia Citron at Mystics practice yesterday said the defensive effort “wavered” in that third quarter and that the team needs to get back to its defensive foundation, which generally consists of their ability to keep offenses in front of them and force bad shots.
Turnovers
Heading into Game 2, it’s easy to say that cutting down turnovers is a focus, but fans should look more at how Atlanta disrupted the Mystics’ offense.
Atlanta has plenty of lateral quickness on the perimeter, and they used it to disrupt the Mystics’ ball handlers at the point of attack, while interior defenders did their best to disrupt many of the early actions the Mystics run to generate good touches for their talented frontcourt.
The result? Less time on the shot clock for the Mystics to get quality looks and often a forced ball pickup, both of which can lead to turnovers as the decision-making time for an offensive player speeds up tremendously, and turnovers on the perimeter often turn into a transition advantage, especially with some of the athleticism that Atlanta has.
At Mystics practice on Tuesday, I asked coach Sydney Johnson about his message to the team under Atlanta’s pressure and Johnson mentioned “screening angles, being sure with the ball, decision-making,” and he also mentioned that “officiating makes an impact,” as Atlanta was able to be extremely physical at the point of attack.
In Game 2, adjusting to Atlanta’s aggressiveness will require poise from the young Mystics, who have limited playoff experience, but are not backing down from the fight.
