Heading Into Home Opener, Mystics Take Long Look at Their Effort

After the New York Liberty's 79-60 shellacking of Washington on Thursday, veteran Mystics forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin gave a half-inspiring, half-demanding speech that urged her entire team to do more: to work harder, to run faster and to use every ounce of energy they possess on the court. From where she stands, the Mystics aren't doing enough.

McWilliams-Franklin won just 10 games with the Los Angeles Sparks last season, and she doesn't want to experience that feeling again. It's not time to panic, she said, but the Mystics need to take control before two losses have a chance to multiply and swallow their season whole.

"We coast sometimes," McWilliams-Franklin said. "Win or lose, you should be exhausted. We have to have the mentality that . . . when they throw that ball up that's when we start. Go all out, nonstop, head to the floor for every post-pounding minute that you can possibly give."

Washington is 0-2 heading into its home opener against Houston (0-1) at 4 p.m. today at Verizon Center, and although the Mystics don't like to talk about the 0-8 start to the 2007 season, they're acutely aware of it. Coach Tree Rollins, who took over during that dismal start a year ago, doesn't want his players to think about the past. But he can't help remembering it himself, and that makes him even more surprised by the Mystics' lackadaisical approach in the beginning of their first two games.

In the season opener against Indiana, the Fever raced to a 6-0 lead. Against New York, Washington showed little resistance as the Liberty methodically increased its lead to 13 points by the end of the first quarter and to 21 by halftime.

"We don't have a sense of urgency right now," Rollins said. "We're prepared, but we go on the court and just go through the motions. . . . So we spent [Friday] watching film, breaking things down and letting the players see what we're not doing."

Of the 10 Mystics who played in the loss to the Liberty, three didn't score and only two recorded more than four points -- guard Alana Beard and McWilliams-Franklin, who had 20 and 26 points, respectively.

Washington's five starters -- Beard, McWilliams-Franklin, forward Monique Currie, center Nakia Sanford and point guard Nikki Blue -- were successful on a paltry 36.4 percent (20 of 55) of their field goal attempts. Currie, Sanford and Blue combined for eight points and shot 10.5 percent (2 of 19) from the field.

"As starters, we have to contribute," Currie said. "We all have to find a way to help the team, and we didn't do that. Everyone saw how undisciplined we were [on film] and sometimes you need to take a step back and look at what you're doing. The whole team's disappointed in the way we've started."

McWilliams-Franklin was more direct, and challenged everyone, including the Mystics' starters, to take pride in and live up to their responsibilities, before drastic changes might need to be made.

"We've got to get it done or we're all going to be sitting," she said.