Gameday: Sky at Mystics

If it weren't for Marissa Coleman's high ankle sprain, there's no question that her reunion with former Maryland teammate Kristi Toliver on a WNBA stage would be the story of tonight's game. As it is though, the Mystics have larger concerns as they seek to find chemistry in their on-court combinations without the dynamic Coleman in the lineup.

Washington struggled to find that rhythm in a 93-81 loss to Atlanta last night, hampered by the absence of Coleman and also the player they re-signed to help fill the void, Kristen Mann, who was out sick.

Tipoff: 7 p.m., Verizon Center
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What To Watch For

*The big test right now for this young group is to respond well from their first loss. Everything is easy when they've won three straight and are atop the league's power rankings. Chicago has a dominant front court anchored by Sylvia Fowles and it will be interesting to see how they respond to the challenge she poses 24 hours after their first loss.

*Matee Ajavon saw about a 10 minute jump from her average playing time for more than 23 minutes yesterday against the Dream in Washington's first contest without Coleman. She scored 13 points and continue to watch how the second-year guard handles the increased role.

*The Mystics are currently second in the WNBA in steals, averaging 10 per game, behind only Indiana's 11.2 per contest. So far they're living up to that end of the system that Coach Julie Plank has wanted to install in Washington. For a comparison, the Sky are second to last in steals with 5.4.

Projected Starters

For Washington expect you will see the same group out on the floor at the beginning of the game that you've seen all season: PG Lindsey Harding, G Alana Beard, F Monique Currie, F Nakia Sanford and C Chasity Melvin.

For Chicago: PG Jia Perkins, G Dominique Canty, F Brook Wyckoff, F Candace Dupree and C Sylvia Fowles.