Add to favorites Examiner Bio

Strange start to WNBA's 13th season

When was the last time the Washington Mystics were in first place in the eastern conference?  After making some major roster and front office moves in the offseason, the Mystics are 4-1 on the season and undefeated at home. Not bad for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006. Sitting in the last two positions are New York and the reigning WNBA Champions, Detroit Shock - two teams that met in the Eastern Conference Finals.  Detroit has had injuries and absences. Cheryl Ford just returned to her first game of the season on Sunday, Plenette Pierson is out with a shoulder injury, and Kara Braxton is still serving her six game suspension. Bill Laimbeer recently resigned as head coach and general manager promoting Rick Mahorn to head coach and Cheryl Reeves to general manager. New York doesn’t have any excuses. All the starters have returned from last season and there are no major injuries. The underperforming Liberty are 2-4 on the season and recently lost to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. I thought adding Ann Donovan to New York’s bench would help this team.

 

Don’t believe in superstitions yet? Take a look at the injuries that have been plaguing the players so far this season. Indiana Fever center and veteran Yolanda Griffith was forced into an early retirement after tearing her left Achilles tendon only two games into the Fever’s season. Lynx scoring leader Seimone Augustus is done for the season after tearing her ACL in Minnesota’s game against the Phoenix Mercury. Plenette Pierson is out with a shoulder injury after getting tangled with Cynthia Cooper in Detroit’s season opener against Los Angeles. Lisa Leslie is sidelined after suffering a severe right knee sprain. Washington’s top draft pick, Marissa Coleman has a left ankle sprain. I don’t remember so many players having injuries so early in the season.

 

Superstitions aside, this is already a peculiar beginning to the WNBA’s thirteenth season.