I learned firsthand how tough the tiebreaker can be when your playoff hopes are on the line.
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| Tari Phillips has helped lift New York into second place in the East. |
In 1999, during my second season as Detroit's coach and general manager, tiebreaker rules pushed the Shock past Orlando for the league's last playoff spot.
But in 2000, the tiebreaker left us home. While we had the same record as Washington, the Mystics moved on simply because they had a better record in conference play. And once the regular season is wrapped up, sometimes that makes all the difference.
With so many teams vying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season, that will likely be the case on Aug. 13. So between now and then, winning conference games and winning at home is crucial.
In the meantime, here's a midseason report on the East (teams listed in order of current standings; records and statistics through July 22, except for Orlando; the Miracle's stats do not include Monday's game against L.A.):
Washington Mystics
Record: 15-7. Home: 9-2. Streak: Lost 1. Last 10: 5-5.
The Mystics were tremendous throughout the first half of the season, and they've done everything right. They've got an MVP candidate in Chamique Holdsclaw, who has been phenomenal every time she plays. But what was most impressive in Washington was the fact the Mystics continued to win and play well even when Holdsclaw was sidelined with an injury. Coach Marianne Stanley has done an excellent job building balance and confidence with this team, and has helped a handful of role players -- particularly Coco Miller and Helen Luz -- become a lot better. She's also getting great production out of Vicky Bullett and Stacey Dales-Schuman. Don't underestimate Asjha Jones' 7.0 scoring average. It might not look significant, but she's making very important contributions. The only thing the Mystics need to do improve is the way they play on the road. While Washington is 9-2 in the MCI Center, it's just 6-5 away from home. That could be tough down the stretch, when Washington plays three of its last four regular-season games on the road -- one game at Charlotte and two at New York. Those tough arenas will help prepare Washington for the playoffs, but the Liberty and Sting have combined to lose just five home games so far this season. So Washington either must find a way to win more consistently on the road, or continue to win now to build a little cushion that will allow for some late-season losses.
New York Liberty
Record: 14-9. Home: 8-3. Streak: Won 4. Last 10: 7-3.
New York has had its up-and-down moments this season, but you can't ever discount the Liberty. This team has turned out to be the prototype of how to build a franchise and be successful. Teresa Weatherspoon isn't having a spectacular season (3.4 ppg, 35.5 percent FG, 16.7 3-pt FG, 46.3 FT), but she still comes up big with some magical moments when you need them, and has connected with fans around the country. Tari Phillips has been tremendous this season, and Vickie Johnson and Crystal Robinson have been wonderful on the wings. Becky Hammon and Tamika Whitmore, who has doubled her career scoring average this season, are both having career years. When New York plays well, the Liberty move the ball around and make those key extra passes. But when they're not playing well, they're turning the ball over at a rapid pace and getting outrebounded. New York needs to worry about playing consistently and getting Weatherspoon more involved in the offense. When she doesn't look to score, it's like the Liberty is playing 4 vs. 5. She needs to attack the rim more often.
Charlotte Sting
Record: 13-9. Home: 10-2. Streak: Lost 1. Last 10: 7-3.
Charlotte had a great run going into the All-Star weekend, winning 8 of 11 games before the break. The key has been the Sting's revamped offense. Last year, points were tough to come by, but Charlotte is scoring more points than ever this season and currently ranks third in the league in scoring. Credit coach Anne Donovan for the change. In the past, she really emphasized a half-court game, but has the Sting pushing tempo this season, looking to break out a little more and rebound and run. Tammy Sutton-Brown also has had a tremendous season. Not many people post up better than her. She has been a great target inside for Charlotte, and has helped give the Sting a solid inside-outside combination.
Orlando Miracle
Record: 10-11. Home: 6-4. Streak: Lost 1. Last 10: 3-7.
Orlando got off to a great start this season but then stalled and had lost three straight games heading into the break. Part of the problem was simply getting used to playing without 6-2 forward/center Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who played in just 13 games this season before announcing she was pregnant (she was put on the injured list on July 5). Orlando does have a tremendous perimeter game. Shannon Johnson is incredible, Adrienne Johnson is a tremendous shooter and Nykesha Sales keeps putting in All-Star performances. Katie Douglas has been solid, too, and adding Wendy Palmer will end up paying dividends. She's a veteran who's capable of handling any situation thrown her way. Still, the key is Orlando's inside game -- the Miracle must get some production out of the post if they're going to be a playoff team. Coach Dee Brown usually emphasizes defense, but right now, the Miracle just need to keep pouring on the points (they rank fourth in scoring). Playing four of the last five regular-season games at home only helps.
Miam Sol
Record: 10-12. Home: 5-7. Streak: Lost 1. Last 10: 7-3.
Like Sacramento, the Sol was hit hard personnel-wise. They lost Elena Baranova before the season even started. Ruth Riley and Sandy Brondello suffered preseason injuries. Then a June 12 car accident sidelined Lindsey Yamasaki. And then, for whatever reason, Sheri Sam needed a few games to get to her All-Star level. All of a sudden, Miami had lost nine of its first 11 games. Still, coach Ron Rothstein has done a great job of keeping the team competitive -- before Saturday's embarrassing 69-48 loss to Detroit, Miami had won five of six. Trading to get Betty Lennox was a great move for this season and down the road, but the Sol still lack a break-you-down-off-the-dribble player. When you're offense breaks down and everything is stagnate, you need a player such as Marie Ferdinand or Tweety Nolan who can break down the opponent off the dribble and score. Neither Brondello or Sam fit that mold, but the lack of that sort of player really showed against Detroit. Miami just couldn't score.
Indiana Fever
Record: 9-13. Home: 6-6. Streak: Won 1. Last 10: 4-6.
Tamika Catchings is a star and has been incredible. And Olympia Scott-Richardson has taken her game up a level offensively. Everybody knew she was a great rebounder and a very vocal, smart player. But two years after having her baby, she has really rebounded into form and is playing extremely well with a lot of offensive confidence, something coach Nell Fortner gave her. Fortner's recent trade that sent Rita Williams to Houston essentially put the reins in Niele Ivey's hands. It'll be interesting to see who gets the better end of this trade -- after all, this brings Washington a lot closer to "home" since the Notre Dame grad also serves as an assistant for the Irish. I like Williams' game, but she's had a tough season with injuries, and right now, everybody's trying to gear up and be better.
Cleveland Rockers
Record: 8-14. Home: 4-7. Streak: Lost 2. Last 10: 2-8.
If there was any question how valuable Helen Darling was to this team, it has been answered. A year ago, Cleveland boasted the best defense in the league, allowing just 55.9 points per game. This season, the Rockers rank sixth, allowing almost 11 more points per game (66.7). The frustrating part is that the Rockers have several really good players -- and Penny Taylor has proven she's going to be a player for the future -- but they simply aren't shooting well and don't appear to be very confident. Right now, Cleveland must gets its defense going and get on those boards. Before the All-Star break, the Rockers were 0-7 when outrebounded. You're not going to win games if you don't have the ball in your hands.
Detroit Shock
Record: 4-17. Home: 4-5. Streak: Won 1. Last 10: 4-6.
Since Bill Laimbeer took over, Detroit is 4-7 and has made some improvement. His in-your-face coaching style commands respect, and the best thing about Laimbeer is that he's incredibly confident, something Detroit could use right now with a losing record and an 0-12 mark on the road. Still, Detroit always plays hard, and to end the season on a positive note, the Shock need to break some hearts and play the role of the spoiler. They had a great win against Miami on Saturday. Swin Cash has had a good rookie season, and she'll only get better. Still, it's tough to win without a legitimate point guard. Elaine Powell is doing the best she can, and is probably a better point guard than Dominique Canty, but the Shock will continue to struggle without a pure ball-handler leading the way.
ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman is a former WNBA coach, general manager and player. She is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage.
