Mystics Article

[Jennifer]

Talks about Stacy a little. Stanley plans on running an up-tempo offense.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64050-2002Apr28.html

Part of the Mystics' scoring problems last season can be traced to their
weakness at the point guard spot. By taking Dales-Schuman with the
third overall pick in the draft, they hope the need was addressed, but
there are some who feel Dales-Schuman is not a natural point guard.

"Stacey's challenge is [that] I'm going to ask her to play a lot of point
even though she's not a 'pure' or 'traditional' point guard," Stanley said.

"That doesn't negate the fact that she has excellent perimeter skills --
ballhandling, passing, all those things. I have enough faith and
confidence in her and I have enough confidence in myself that whatever
she needs to learn about the point position, I'm the one to teach her."

Stanley, who was an all-American point guard at Immaculata, wants to do
all she can to help Dales-Schuman make a successful transition from
college to the professional ranks by not placing too much pressure on
her too early. In the beginning, she won't ask her to run the offense the
entire game. Instead, other players will bring the ball up court
occasionally.

"I will not place the burden of running the show, so to speak, on Stacey or
any one person," Stanley said. "I will not place the burden of carrying the
team on Chamique. Neither of them has to feel that burden. That's a
misguided notion of what we've got to do to win. We've got to share the
responsibility of carrying this team."

[swok34]

"Stacey's challenge is [that] I'm going to ask her to play a lot of point even though she's not a 'pure' or 'traditional' point guard," Stanley said.


ok, I give up.......blow 'em out the water with your PG skills, Stacey.

I also heard that Stacey is finishing this semester with a 4.0 GPA.

[kate dawg]

I know I'll get smashed for this, but I never thought of Stacey as a traditional point guard, so why everyone is all up in arms over this comment I'll never know. Yes, she can pass and do all that...but she really isn't a traditional point guard....I've never thought so and clearly I'm not the only one. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif But I do think she's kick a$$.

[swok34]

naw, you won't get smashed....I'm just really surprised that Stacey's first 3 seasons at OU have not been taken into account.
Last year, she was up for the PG award of the year.
It wasn't until this year that Stacey got moved around so much and rarely ran the point.

[carolann]

The real challenge is contained in the following:

I will not place the burden of running the show, so to speak, on Stacey or any one person," Stanley said. "I will not place the burden of carrying the team on Chamique. Neither of them has to feel that burden. That's a misguided notion of what we've got to do to win. We've got to share the responsibility of carrying this team.

No one has yet succeeded in getting the Mystics to understand how to 'share the responsibility of carrying this team'. The players have either tried to do it all as an individual or abdicated responsiblity entirely. Perhaps Dales can help Stanley share the team concept.

[Press]

As long as Holdsclaw's on that team she will most likely take it upon herself to carry her team, whether she needs to or not. I don't think that will change anytime soon. Maybe Stanley can be the one coach, besides Pat, that she will allow to try and coach her. I'm sure she's frustrated that her pro career has been a bit of a disapointment thus far.

[ChipperF1]

"As long as Holdsclaw's on that team she will most likely take it upon herself to carry her team, whether she needs to or not. I don't think that will change anytime soon. Maybe Stanley can be the one coach, besides Pat, that she will allow to try and coach her."

That's been much of problem in Washington since she's been in the league. You have coaches trying to "coach" her as in "we must control her to conform to our game plan."

That doesn't work with a player like Chamique. When Chamique was at Tennessee, Pat Summitt began by working with what Chamique had (explosive offensive ability and flare), and enhanced with what Chamique didn't have (aggression on defense). The result in four years once a kid who went from being a hot-shot scorer into a well-rounded player. You can count the number of offensive superstars who are also all-defensive selections on one hand. Ms. Holdsclaw became one of those.

Nancy Darsch and Tom Maher both put her game in shackles with strategies that didn't play to her strength. Add to that a number of supporting cast members who couldn't their end of the bargain and you get what you get.
The only time that Chamique hasn't really gotten to play her game in the WNBA was after Darsch got fired and the interim coach took over, and the result was a spot in the playoffs.

I think having Dales there will open up things for Chamique and Murriel Page, too. As Dales grows in the offense, Chamique will find that she won't have to be the emergency quarterback. The team won't need it. She'll be let loose to do what she does best. Freelance, find holes and score points. It'll also open up her defensive game, too.

If Marianne Stanley sticks to going up tempo and doesn't try to "control" Chamique but rather than work with what she does, the Mystics could be onto something.

After all, would you try to turn Secretariat into a plow horse?

[Press]

Well, you most likely know more details than me, but I've seen a less than impressive showing from her in her pro career. I was kinda under the impression that she became a head case early on and it was hard to shake, then the coaching issues followed.

You're right, maybe the coaches game plan didn't match hers but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary that made me overlook her dissapointing performance. I hope this new staff and PS's influence makes her a happier young lady.

[swok34]

Pat Summitt's title is player consultant; there are many that think she is there to appease Holdsclaw. I like your thoughts on the matter, Chipper......and trading away Nikki McCray may actually have a positive influence on the team. McCray rarely got her game going last year, either.

I think the Washington management knew *exactly* what it was doing by hiring Stanley AND Summitt.....there was an article I read recently that said something to the effect that it wasn't fair that Summitt was in the "WNBA" arena and her bias showed through by taking Jeter from South Carolina, who actually played for Tennessee her freshmen year before transferring......

Now, if Pat would have taken Snow with the #3rd or 4th pick, an argument could be made of the unfairness of having a college coach in the WNBA in any capacity; but a 3rd round player, naw......

Here are a couple of opening day camp quotes:
(my gawd....I don't believe it, this is the first time I've been to the WNBA page in a week and a half and seen a picture other than Sue Bird) http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif It's Stacey.........http://www.wnba.com/

"I feel so good because I think that the energy was great, the attitude was great and everybody worked very hard," Mystics head coach Marianne Stanley said following the team's first practice session. "You could feel a sense of camaraderie and collective work towards something."

"This is my fourth season now and I have been kind of disappointed every year," forward Chamique Holdsclaw said. "Right now we have the opportunity to change that, to clean the slate and say that this is the new Washington Mystics. I am just really excited about what this organization has done to commit themselves to this team."

"It's so nice to step on a floor with a team with such eagerness to make this a winning season," rookie Stacey Dales-Schuman said. "I see the focus and determination and the confidence in everyone's eyes."

"I'm very impressed by Coach Stanley," Dales-Schuman said. "She is a high-intensity, highly positive person, and she brings a lot to the team."



[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 04-29-2002).]

[carolann]

An aside, I am getting so tired of the Sue Bird coverage. I think the media is doing her a disservice. I'm left saying can she really be that great?

[Jennifer]

Carolann--I agree. And not just Sue Bird, but the 4 Srs. from Uconn. SUre, they are all great players and seem to be really good people, but enough is enough!

So which is more impressive: 4 former HS All Americans who go to a top program, play with other HS All Americans daily, play for a proven coach with a strong track record, and go in the top 6 of the draft, or 3 players who were not highly recruited in HS, not All-Americans, go to a program that doesn't have a strong tradition and hadn't had a winning season in a couple of years (well, 2 of the 3 since the 3rd was a Juco transfer), play for a great coach that is not yet 'proven', and all go in the 1st round of the draft?
OK, so I'm biased...

[swok34]

I agree with both of you.....and I think the media is doing a huge disservice to Sue Bird..though Seattle sure is making sure she stays in the spotlight.

I don't see the other 3 UConn rookies getting the kind of attention that Sue Bird is getting.

[ChipperF1]

"And not just Sue Bird, but the 4 Srs. from Uconn. SUre, they are all great players and seem to be really good people, but enough is enough!

I agree to a point. Yeah they are overexposing the UConn kids a little bit, but lets remember, these are the people that most of the casual fans know. The WNBA is trying to sell some tickets and get some ratings point and the fact is, UConn gets the ratings in.

Don't worry. Stacey, LaNeisha and Rosalind will make their names in due course. There's plenty fame for everybody. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif