The Playoffs . . . Starting Over

Wipe the slate clean; forget the regular season standings. When the first game of the (best-of-three) WNBA 1st round playoff series between the Mystics and the Dream tips-off tonight at 7 PM at the Verizon Center, the two teams are back to 0-0.

To paraphrase what Katie ("Buzzkill") Smith told her celebrating-teammates on Sunday in the locker room . . . nothing to get excited about, the Mystics haven't won anything yet. (Although as fans, we are excited . . . our team enters the playoffs as the top seed for the first time ever!) But there's no quetion that with 35 WNBA playoff games under her belt before today, Katie knows more than a little about post-season basketball. We're hoping that her leadership will help the Mystics carry their regular season success into this new playoff season.

Tonight's first playoff game may set the tone for the rest, so whatever you do, don't miss it! Come on out, bring your friends and co-workers . . . support the Mystics and help make the home court the advantage the team worked so hard to achieve!

Between now and the 7 PM start, here's some required reading to catch up on:

The Mystics and Katie Carrera's article are featured (above the fold) on page 1 of the Washington Post Sports Section. (If you don't subscribe to the print edition, today might be a good day to buy a copy.) And there's more here and here to read on Carrera's WP Blog.

Mike Fratto on CSN writes about the Mystics' "unfinished business."

And a few preview features: one here by Milton Kent; another here by Frank Della Femina on WNBA.com; Mechelle Voepel's ESPN.com feature here; and last, but certainly not least, Mel Greenberg's blog here.

Finally, the Mystics have their own new playoff page, so fans can peruse all the stats while anxiously awaiting this evening's tip-off.

See you at the Phone Booth!

Go Mystics . . . Beat the Dream!