The Washington Mystics posted a blowout victory in their first game under interim coach Jessie Kenlaw. Two blowout losses to the New York Liberty are likely part of the reason she's now in charge. Coming off their most impressive win this year, the Mystics look to avoid being swept in their season series with the Liberty as the teams meet on Wednesday at the Verizon Center. Washington (9-14) had lost six of eight - including a 77-56 loss to New York on Thursday - before coach Tree Rollins was fired on Saturday. The Mystics also lost their first game of the season versus the Liberty, 79-60 on May 22. After promoting Kenlaw on an interim basis, Washington posted a decisive win by beating Seattle 89-57 on Sunday. The Mystics had lost their previous two contests by a combined 58 points.
"It feels awesome," Kenlaw said. "I didn't know what to expect. I feel like doing flips it feels so good."
Kenlaw, in her first season with Washington after four as an assistant with the Storm, guided a Mystics team that set a franchise record with their 23-point halftime lead. The 48 first-half points also were a season high for the WNBA's lowest-scoring team (69.0). Kenlaw, though, preaches defense first, and Washington held Seattle to 38.2 percent shooting from the field.
"Coach Kenlaw made it clear to us that if we didn't play defense we were going to be sitting," said forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who had 22 points and four of the team's 19 steals. "That's cut and dry."
Shameka Christon, who leads the Liberty (12-10) with 16.6 points per contest, had 17 in that game. But she was held to nine points on 2-of-13 shooting in a 71-55 loss to Indiana on Saturday in the first WNBA game played outdoors at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, N.Y. Though the game wasn't played at Madison Square Garden, it marked the Liberty's first home loss since June 8, when they fell 70-63 to Sacramento. The Liberty had their worst offensive game of the season, shooting 28.6 percent (18-of-63) from the floor. They're 0-6 this season when scoring fewer than 70 points.
"It was not the outcome we were expecting," Liberty coach Pat Coyle said. "I was disappointed for the thing we did and didn't do on the court tonight. ... I mean our play on the court was disappointing."
Prediction
I will continue with some press clippings because they describe situation better than my words:
We don't have time to waste," interim head coach Jessie Kenlaw said over and over at practice today. She ran the Mystics through their longest session of the year, despite the smooth jazz (the kind you hear in elevators) that started playing in Verizon Center for a season ticket holder event the Wizards were having.
Regular suicide sprints. Mimicking if a player stood and lollygagged. "If you have a question ask," Kenlaw said. "Don't just pretend you know what to do."
After the long practice the Mystics held a closed door team meeting, which all of the players came out of laughing. Washington's never been in a bad mood this season, but they've never been quite this easygoing and carefree. Considering it was after the long practice I was a bit surprised, but as Monique Currie told me "change is good for us." We'll see if change results in two, consecutive solid games tomorrow morning against New York.
As you see Washington looks very motivated at this moment and I can't see them being underdogs in this matchup. I would even consider to bet on them if they would 2.5-3 points favorites here because Mystics always was a tough to beat home team. But looks like emotions means a lot for them this season and they react only when they are highly motivated. Also they have to revenge for last year playoff dream which was killed by NY Liberty and 2 huge losses this year. If Washington will find its offense early in this game they might win with confidence. And Liberty defense could help them to achieve this goal because Liberty is not a defensive club. They can play in defense but number talking against them. They allow up to 76 points in average per game and if Mystics will score 73+ points I think that they will win game because defensively they looks solid right now especially when playing at home.
Liberty won 4 games away from home but I think that we should not overestimate this because they won mainly against the team who were in the slump at the moment of the game: Phoenix, Los Angeles and Connecticut, while 4th win was against weakest league club from Atlanta.
Prediction: Washington 79 - 68 New YorkPick: Washington to win @ 2.08 PinnacleSports 
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Liberty won 5 games away from home,but i think that we should not
hoenix,Los Angeles,Connecticut and Washington