No Time To Waste

"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. Yes, tomorrow morning is camp day at Verizon Center and as the Mystics staff reminded me today: don't forget to bring your earplugs. And I'll have a story in tomorrow's hard-copy edition about Alana Beard's slump.

Kenlaw lives by accountability. And the players know it. Here's Currie's take on the different practice styles:

"Jessie's big on every little thing. She really focuses on doing things the right way. She doesn't let things slide. You're accountable for making a bad pass and you're accountable for being in the right position at the right time. Things that will make us better players and a better team. It might take a little bit longer -- practice will be long -- but we're trying to get better and I think Jessie's the right person to make it happen."

The biggest problem Kenlaw's had so far? "I have to realize it takes time to change habits," she said. "They're so conditioned to the little things that I want to hold them accountable for that I have to be patient take a step back a little bit and try to give them enough time to make the adjustments."

By Katie Carrera  |  July 22, 2008; 6:15 PM ET
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Posted by: Eileen | July 22, 2008 7:39 PM

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