Every once in a while, these things work out just right. Or so we thought.

	Chamique Holdsclaw was "fed up with all the losing" in the past but has "become a better professional" this season.

Chamique Holdsclaw, now a blossomed WNBA star, was supposed to start in the WNBA All-Star game Monday night right at home in the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

In this year of the Mystics' ascension, it was perfect timing. Just like when you get to the metro stop as the train arrives.

But then Holdsclaw twisted her ankle June 28 and still can't play. However, Mystics fans probably won't be that upset -- considering they'd rather miss her now than in the playoffs.

And, yes, we can safely talk in July about the Mystics and the postseason. The Eastern Conference leaders have pretty much stayed between steady and spectacular since the season began. Steady, with a few exceptions, on the road. Spectacular at home, with just one loss. And even without Holdsclaw, they've held together.

Credit is well spread around: coach Marianne Stanley, consultant Pat Summitt, veteran leadership from Vicky Bullett, rookie leadership from Stacey Dales-Schuman (who'll take Holdsclaw's roster spot in the All-Star game), the "I gotta be me'' emergence of Coco Miller.

All of which is orbiting nicely around Holdsclaw.

"After being here three seasons, I was struggling, had an up-and-down time,'' Holdsclaw said. "I attribute everything now to the coaching staff. Coach Stanley, I'm really high on her. And having coach Summitt here to scout the talent -- she's one of the best at it.''

True enough. But the talent has to exist before it gets scouted and before it's molded. As Stanley says, "I'm not going to take credit for what Chamique Holdsclaw does.''

We all know Holdsclaw has an abundance of the goods, even if she had her doubts at times in recent years.

"I kind of went through it,'' she said. "You just have to stay persistent. I'd get down and say, 'Gosh, we can't win.' You get kind of fed up with all the losing. I've learned how to become a better professional, to put the work in during the offseason.''

When she's got her mind locked in on it, she finds every way to score, is relentless on the boards. And, like the very best athletes, she can suddenly throw in that critical burst of greatness even in the games where, overall, she's not playing at her top level.

Yet, Holdsclaw is different than many dominating athletes. She seems so unaggressive off court, she would not be your first, second or third choice to successfully hail a cab. She has the softest voice, a distinct gentleness about her. She'd open the window and guide the fly out, rather than swat it.

	Vicky Bullett has started all 20 games and provided veteran leadership for the Mystics this season.

She has an innate empathy; you could put her in a room full of people and she could successfully find the shyest, most self-conscious one and try to put that person at ease.

You realize where much of this comes from. Her grandmother, June, who died in May.

"She always told me remain humble, true to yourself,'' Holdsclaw said. "Don't worry about what everybody else tells you, what they say about you. Just worry about what those close to you think, because they know your true heart.''

Which is great advice, but almost nobody can ever really do that: Block out what those outside your immediate circle say. What they said about Holdsclaw as a pro was that she wasn't giving 100 percent effort all the time, she wasn't taking over games like she should.

As for effort, Holdsclaw is very deceiving at times because she makes a lot of hard things look effortless. Summitt has compared her to seven-time Wimbledon winner Pete Sampras (at his peak, obviously) in that quality.

As for taking over, Holdsclaw really did defer quite a bit to former Mystics teammate Nikki McCray. Holdsclaw doesn't blame anybody but herself, saying that maybe she worried too much about stepping on toes.

Now McCray is in Indiana, and Holdsclaw isn't worried about what her place is. That's pretty clear. And that's one of the things Stanley has done successfully so far: let every Mystic play to her strengths.

It means, for instance, you don't do "yell-and-yank'' with Miller; let her be instinctive and aggressive and creative. Her mistakes will be worth the trade off.

Stanley went to Birmingham, Ala., to see Coco and some relative of hers -- a sister, maybe -- playing in the National Women's Basketball League in January.

"And I said to myself, 'Next season, I need to let Coco do what she does and get out of her way,' '' Stanley said. "I came back and knew I wanted her to feel as comfortable at this level as she did there.''

That means being as comfortable without twin Kelly as with her? OK, let's not be ridiculous, that's never going to happen.

So how about at least not uncomfortable without her?

"It's a little better,'' Coco said of dealing with the separation this season as opposed to last. "We're more used to it. We still talk every day. At least two or three times a day. Sometimes more. And it always seems like a part of her is with me all the time anyway.''

Holdsclaw would understand that, even though she's not a twin. She knows that undefinable, unexplainable feeling that someone is always nearby, even if that person physically is not there.

For Holdsclaw, it's Grandma: the lessons, the love, the strength, the standards.

"My grandmother really never had to tell me about basketball,'' Holdsclaw said. "She was more consoling than anything, more, 'Oh, how's my grandbaby doing;' always the one to offer that warmth.

"It really hurts without her; there's not a day that I don't think about her or that I don't cry when I wake up.''

Her grandmother knew Holdsclaw would need a someone else, though. So with that in mind, she gave one more gift to the grandchild she raised.

"She always told me when I was in college that my mom and I needed to establish a relationship,'' Holdsclaw said. "And I'm just glad that we did, because that's the person that I've kind of leaned on. We talk in the morning, the evening, every day.''

Holdsclaw smiles when discussing her grandmother, when recalling one of the things that she was able to give back to her.

"The game of basketball, she enjoyed it so much,'' Holdsclaw said. "During the NBA season, she would call me and talk about Chris Webber, her favorite player.

"She was so excited about this season. She came to our first exhibition game and she said, 'Your team's going to GOOD this year; you guys really got it cooking! You pass the ball, that Coco Miller has worked so hard. It's going to be a good season.' ''

And so are we surprised? Nah. Grandma was right again.

Mechelle Voepel of the Kansas City Star is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached at mvoepel@kcstar.com.