WNBA 2014: Indiana Fever 80, Washington Mystics 77

July 2, 2014, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. – Before the game started, Washington Mystics Coach Mike Thibault congratulated his colleague Lin Dunn – coach of the Mystics’ opponent, the Indiana Fever – on her induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as well as on her final year of coaching. In appreciation, Dunn’s team took advantage of a porous defense and overwhelmed the Mystics, taking a 13-point lead, 42-29, in the first half.

Eventually this resulted in an 80-77 victory for Dunn and Indiana. Throughout the game, the Fever (8-9) basically dared the Mystics (7-11) to take outside shots. The Mystics promptly obliged and attempted 17 three-pointers and made just two (11.8 percent). Otherwise, they made a very respectable 25 field goals out of 46 attempts, or 54.3 percent.

Thibault summarized Washington’s season so far with the following comments:

“When I came here, we went with younger players and we are trying to make changes. There is a way I want to play, [a] tempo I want to play at. And they haven’t grasped that,” he said.

“They need to learn how to play basketball,” Thibault added. “I think the women’s game – in general the WNBA – needs to be a more free-flowing game. I don’t want it to be a walk-it-up team, and I don’t want to play that way.”

The second half of the season will show if the Washington Mystics will play the type of game that Thibault is looking for.