Guru’s WNBA Report: Defending Champs Coach Thibault Optimistic Despite Hurdles Tossed to Mystics And the Rest of the League
(@knoxrob1)
Before speaking about his reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics, veteran head coach Mike Thibault was in a jovial mood.
The affable Thibault discussed his scenic view of the parking lot and pond outside of his hotel room window at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, during Thursday morning’s Zoom call with reporters.
“You guys are a welcomed sight,” the veteran head coach and general manager of the Mystics said while laughing. “It’s great to see other pieces of humanity. The players are upbeat. It’s a different environment. The staff has done zoom call workouts (with the players) in the rooms. Not the most ideal way to do things.”
Amazingly, during the nearly 40-minute call, the words “defending champions” or “repeat” were never uttered.
Despite not having Natasha Cloud, the Saint Joseph’s grad from suburban Philadelphia, and Latoya Sanders for the 2020 season and the unknown statuses of stars Elena Delle Donne and Tina Charles, Thibault was upbeat as the Mystics prepared for life in the WNBA bubble in advance of a 22-game regular season on a schedule yet tdo be announced by the league.
Cloud elected to sit out the season to continue the wonderful work she’s doing with social justice activism. She’s making a major impact and will not miss a paycheck, thanks to her sponsor, Converse, who will pay her full 2020 salary. Sanders is out for medical reasons as she is a high risk for COVID-19 because of previous medical issues.
Meanwhile, Delle Donne and Charles, the former UConn great acquired in an off-season deal, arguably two of the legendary stars of the WNBA, are in the league’s player medical evaluation protocol. The duo did not travel with the team to IMG Academy.
If they do receive exemptions, then the Mystics will play the season with 10 players because Delle Donne and Charles would receive their full salaries and count against the salary cap. If they aren’t approved, then the Mystics can add a pair of players.
Under that circumstance, Delle Donne and Charles won’t get their full salary unless they play this season.
Despite the uncertainty, Thibault focused on who was present and spoke extensively about the opportunities available for his squad.
“It’s an opportunity to (write) our own story this year,” Thibault said. “I believe we can still win. It’ll just be different. I am excited about coaching this year. We have a chance to set more of a standard for the next couple of years. Some players have a chance to prove they belong in the rotation and make their case to be here long term.”
Regardless of what happens with Delle Donne and Charles, Thibault will have a solid core to work with leading with Emma Meesseman, Tianna Hawkins, Ariel Atkins, Aerial Powers, and Leilani Mitchell.
Meesseman, a six-year pro, was resigned this offseason after helping lead the Mystics to their first WNBA Championship. The Belgian averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists during the playoffs while shooting .582 from the field and .581 from three-point range. She scored 20-plus points in six of the Mystics’ nine playoff games and became the first reserve player in WNBA history to be named Finals MVP.
“Emma will probably have more shots than she wants,” Thibault said while laughing. “She looks at everything as a big adventure in life. Leilani was a prime target for us to sign. We’ll be different, but many of the players here know what the expectations are. They are going to embrace the challenge that’s in front of them.
“There are opportunities for Ariel Atkins and Aerial Powers to be main cogs of our offense this year,” Thibault said. “Tianna was hampered by her knees last year and we expect her to play bigger minutes and have an influence on our team. There’s an opportunity for Myisha (Hines-Allen) to re-establish herself and for Kiara (Leslie). We loved her when we drafted her. We like her talent and now it’s up to her to justify our pick of her.”
The Mystics also added veteran guards Essence Carson, a former Rutgers star, and Shey Peddy, who had a notable career art Temple. They are familiar with Thibault’s system. Alaina Coates, who played for Dawn Staley at South Carolina, is Washington’s other signee. She played last season for the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream.
As for life in the bubble, Thibault, while acknowledging some minor inconveniences, is comfortable.
While photos surfaced on social media showcasing less than stellar laundry facilities with a mousetrap on the wall and food that didn’t look appealing, Thibault wasn’t worried that this was going to be the norm for the WNBA players in the bubble.
“My instinct is to try and fix it if something is wrong,” Thibault said. “Not tweet it to the world because I’d rather problem solve. There have been some minor things that’s been immediately handled. The hotel is nice. At the end of the day, we’re playing a kids’ game that we’re getting paid for. All we can do is embrace it and enjoy this as much as we can. There’s great talent in this league and a different chapter will be written this year.”
Nevertheless, perhaps there’ll be a similar ending to last year’s dynamic run, enabling Thibault and the Mystics to enjoy another view of the championship trophy.
Despite the uncertainty, Thibault focused on who was present and spoke extensively about the opportunities available for his squad.
“It’s an opportunity to (write) our own story this year,” Thibault said. “I believe we can still win. It’ll just be different. I am excited about coaching this year. We have a chance to set more of a standard for the next couple of years. Some players have a chance to prove they belong in the rotation and make their case to be here long term.”
Regardless of what happens with Delle Donne and Charles, Thibault will have a solid core to work with leading with Emma Meesseman, Tianna Hawkins, Ariel Atkins, Aerial Powers, and Leilani Mitchell.
Meesseman six-year pro was resigned this offseason after helping lead the Mystics to their first WNBA Championship. She averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists during the playoffs while shooting .582 from the field and .581 from three-point range. She scored 20-plus points in six of the Mystics’ nine playoff games. She became the first reserve player in WNBA history to be named Finals MVP.
“Emma will probably have more shots than she wants,” Thibault said while laughing. “She looks at everything as a big adventure in life. Leilani was a prime target for us to sign. We’ll be different, but many of the players here know what the expectations are. They are going to embrace the challenge that’s in front of them.
“There are opportunities for Ariel Atkins and Aerial Powers to be main cogs of our offense this year,” Thibault said. “Tianna was hampered by her knees last year and we expect her to play bigger minutes and have an influence on our team. There’s an opportunity for Myisha (Hines-Allen) to re-establish herself and for Kiara (Leslie). We loved her when we drafted her. We like her talent and now it’s up to her to justify our pick of her.”
The Mystics also added veteran guards Essence Carson and Shey Peddy. They are familiar with Thibault’s system. Alaina Coates is Washington’s other signee. She played last season for the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream.
As for life in the bubble, Thibault, while acknowledging some minor inconveniences, is comfortable. While photos surfaced on social media showcasing less than stellar laundry facilities with a mousetrap on the wall and food that didn’t look appealing, Thibault wasn’t worried that this was going to be the norm for the WNBA players in the bubble.
“My instinct is to try and fix it if something is wrong,” Thibault said. “Not tweet it to the world because I’d rather problem solve. There have been some minor things that’s been immediately handled. The hotel is nice. At the end of the day, we’re playing a kids’ game that we’re getting paid for. All we can do is embrace it and enjoy this as much as we can. There’s great talent in this league and a different chapter will be written this year.”
Perhaps, Thibault and the Mys
By ROB KNOX
(@knoxrob1)
Before speaking about his reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics, veteran head coach Mike Thibault was in a jovial mood.
The affable Thibault discussed his scenic view of the parking lot and pond outside of his hotel room window at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl’s Zoom call “You guys are a welcomed sight,” the veteran head coach and general manager of the Mystics said while laughing. “It’s great to see other pieces of humanity. The players are upbeat. It’s a different environment. The staff has done zoom call workouts (with the players) in the rooms. Not the most ideal way to do things.”
Amazingly, during the nearly 40-minute call, the words “defending champions” or “repeat” were never uttered.
Despite not having Natasha Cloud and Latoya Sanders for the 2020 season and the unknown statuses of stars Elena Delle Donne and Tina Charles, Thibault was upbeat as the Mystics prepared for life in the WNBA bubble in advance of a 22-game regular season.
Cloud elected to sit out the season to continue the wonderful work she’s doing with social justice activism. She’s making a major impact and will not miss a paycheck thanks to her sponsor, Converse, who will pay her full 2020 salary. Sanders is out for medical reasons as she is a high risk for COVID-19 because of previous medical issues.
Meanwhile, Delle Donne and Charles, arguably two of the legendary stars of the WNBA, are in the WNBA player medical evaluation protocol. The players did not travel with the team to Bradenton, Florida.
If they do receive exemptions, then the Mystics will play the season with 10 players because Delle Donne and Charles would receive their full salaries and count against the salary cap. If they aren’t approved, then the Mystics can add a pair of players. Under that circumstance, Delle Donne and Charles won’t get their full salary unless they play this season.
Despite the uncertainty, Thibault focused on who was present and spoke extensively about the opportunities available for his squad.
“It’s an opportunity to (write) our own story this year,” Thibault said. “I believe we can still win. It’ll just be different. I am excited about coaching this year. We have a chance to set more of a standard for the next couple of years. Some players have a chance to prove they belong in the rotation and make their case to be here long term.”
Regardless of what happens with Delle Donne and Charles, Thibault will have a solid core to work with leading with Emma Meesseman, Tianna Hawkins, Ariel Atkins, Aerial Powers, and Leilani Mitchell.
Meesseman six-year pro was resigned this offseason after helping lead the Mystics to their first WNBA Championship. She averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists during the playoffs while shooting .582 from the field and .581 from three-point range. She scored 20-plus points in six of the Mystics’ nine playoff games. She became the first reserve player in WNBA history to be named Finals MVP.
“Emma will probably have more shots than she wants,” Thibault said while laughing. “She looks at everything as a big adventure in life. Leilani was a prime target for us to sign. We’ll be different, but many of the players here know what the expectations are. They are going to embrace the challenge that’s in front of them.
“There are opportunities for Ariel Atkins and Aerial Powers to be main cogs of our offense this year,” Thibault said. “Tianna was hampered by her knees last year and we expect her to play bigger minutes and have an influence on our team. There’s an opportunity for Myisha (Hines-Allen) to re-establish herself and for Kiara (Leslie). We loved her when we drafted her. We like her talent and now it’s up to her to justify our pick of her.”
The Mystics also added veteran guards Essence Carson and Shey Peddy. They are familiar with Thibault’s system. Alaina Coates is Washington’s other signee. She played last season for the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream.
As for life in the bubble, Thibault, while acknowledging some minor inconveniences, is comfortable. While photos surfaced on social media showcasing less than stellar laundry facilities with a mousetrap on the wall and food that didn’t look appealing, Thibault wasn’t worried that this was going to be the norm for the WNBA players in the bubble.
“My instinct is to try and fix it if something is wrong,” Thibault said. “Not tweet it to the world because I’d rather problem solve. There have been some minor things that’s been immediately handled. The hotel is nice. At the end of the day, we’re playing a kids’ game that we’re getting paid for. All we can do is embrace it and enjoy this as much as we can. There’s great talent in this league and a different chapter will be written this year.”
Perhaps, Thibault and the Mystics will enjoy another view of the championship trophy. As always please triple check. I will pop in on a Mercury call over the weekend with Taurasi and Skylar Diggins.
By ROB KNOX
(@knoxrob1)
Before speaking about his reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics, veteran head coach Mike Thibault was in a jovial mood.
The affable Thibault discussed his scenic view of the parking lot and pond outside of his hotel room window at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida during Thursday morning’s Zoom call with reporters.
“You guys are a welcomed sight,” the veteran head coach and general manager of the Mystics said while laughing. “It’s great to see other pieces of humanity. The players are upbeat. It’s a different environment. The staff has done zoom call workouts (with the players) in the rooms. Not the most ideal way to do things.”
Amazingly, during the nearly 40-minute call, the words “defending champions” or “repeat” were never uttered.
Despite not having Natasha Cloud and Latoya Sanders for the 2020 season and the unknown statuses of stars Elena Delle Donne and Tina Charles, Thibault was upbeat as the Mystics prepared for life in the WNBA bubble in advance of a 22-game regular season.
Cloud elected to sit out the season to continue the wonderful work she’s doing with social justice activism. She’s making a major impact and will not miss a paycheck thanks to her sponsor, Converse, who will pay her full 2020 salary. Sanders is out for medical reasons as she is a high risk for COVID-19 because of previous medical issues.
Meanwhile, Delle Donne and Charles, arguably two of the legendary stars of the WNBA, are in the WNBA player medical evaluation protocol. The players did not travel with the team to Bradenton, Florida.
If they do receive exemptions, then the Mystics will play the season with 10 players because Delle Donne and Charles would receive their full salaries and count against the salary cap. If they aren’t approved, then the Mystics can add a pair of players. Under that circumstance, Delle Donne and Charles won’t get their full salary unless they play this season.
Despite the uncertainty, Thibault focused on who was present and spoke extensively about the opportunities available for his squad.
“It’s an opportunity to (write) our own story this year,” Thibault said. “I believe we can still win. It’ll just be different. I am excited about coaching this year. We have a chance to set more of a standard for the next couple of years. Some players have a chance to prove they belong in the rotation and make their case to be here long term.”
Regardless of what happens with Delle Donne and Charles, Thibault will have a solid core to work with leading with Emma Meesseman, Tianna Hawkins, Ariel Atkins, Aerial Powers, and Leilani Mitchell.
Meesseman six-year pro was resigned this offseason after helping lead the Mystics to their first WNBA Championship. She averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists during the playoffs while shooting .582 from the field and .581 from three-point range. She scored 20-plus points in six of the Mystics’ nine playoff games. She became the first reserve player in WNBA history to be named Finals MVP.
“Emma will probably have more shots than she wants,” Thibault said while laughing. “She looks at everything as a big adventure in life. Leilani was a prime target for us to sign. We’ll be different, but many of the players here know what the expectations are. They are going to embrace the challenge that’s in front of them.
“There are opportunities for Ariel Atkins and Aerial Powers to be main cogs of our offense this year,” Thibault said. “Tianna was hampered by her knees last year and we expect her to play bigger minutes and have an influence on our team. There’s an opportunity for Myisha (Hines-Allen) to re-establish herself and for Kiara (Leslie). We loved her when we drafted her. We like her talent and now it’s up to her to justify our pick of her.”
The Mystics also added veteran guards Essence Carson and Shey Peddy. They are familiar with Thibault’s system. Alaina Coates is Washington’s other signee. She played last season for the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream.
As for life in the bubble, Thibault, while acknowledging some minor inconveniences, is comfortable. While photos surfaced on social media showcasing less than stellar laundry facilities with a mousetrap on the wall and food that didn’t look appealing, Thibault wasn’t worried that this was going to be the norm for the WNBA players in the bubble.
“My instinct is to try and fix it if something is wrong,” Thibault said. “Not tweet it to the world because I’d rather problem solve. There have been some minor things that’s been immediately handled. The hotel is nice. At the end of the day, we’re playing a kids’ game that we’re getting paid for. All we can do is embrace it and enjoy this as much as we can. There’s great talent in this league and a different chapter will be written this year.”
Perhaps, Thibault and the Mystics will enjoy another view of the championship trophy.
posted by Mel Greenberg | 2:08 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home