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WASHINGTON -- The WNBA's Washington Mystics have named
Melissa McFerrin general manager and extended the contract of
coach Nancy Darsch for an additional season.
Wes Unseld, general manager for more than two
years of Washington's NBA and WNBA teams, announced Tuesday that he will step down as Mystics general manager.
"As the Mystics and the WNBA continue to grow it is necessary to
give more specific attention and use specialized resources,"
Unseld said.
The Washington Wizards are making major changes under Michael Jordan, the
new president of basketball operations. Unseld is now working under
Jordan, who is searching for a new coach and wanting to increase
the front-office staff.
McFerrin served as a Mystics assistant during the 1999 season
and has also coached under Darsch with the New York Liberty and
for seven years at Ohio State, where she also was the school's
recruiting coordinator.
McFerrin has done much work for the team's last two drafts. Unseld has
also evaluated talent, interrupting his Wizards duties late in the
NBA season.
"I am excited to take on the challenges this position presents,"
McFerrin said. "We are looking forward to an exciting,
successful season this summer. I look forward to working with
Wes during this transition period and I will continue in his
footsteps striving to make the Mystics a winning organization."
"Melissa assumes her new role with energy and
excitement," Unseld said, "and has an excellent knowledge of women's basketball.
I will spend the remainder of the summer assisting her in the
transition of ... responsibilities."
The Mystics finished 12-20 last year, a nine-win improvement
from their inaugural 1998 campaign. They exercised a team
option to extend Darsch's contract an additional season.
"We are very pleased in the progress Nancy made with the team
last season and we feel confident in her ability to bring
continued success to the Mystics," Unseld said.
Stephanie Rivers was hired to replace McFerrin as an assistant
coach. Rivers was an assistant for the ABL's Chicago Condors in
1998 and as head coach led the Chicago Twisters to the 1995 WBA
Championship.
Replacing McFerrin as assistant coach of the Mystics will be
Stephanie Rivera, a former assistant with the Chicago Condors of
the American Basketball League.
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