Stacey Dales-Schuman doesn't mind playing for a man: "From everything that I've seen and read about Michael Adams, it shows a lot of promise for our team. . . . The fact that this is a male coach is no problem at all. I think it's great that he has professional experience with the NBA."

Coach Adams is already referring to himself in the third person: "I've never been handed anything in my life. I was never drafted in the first round. I just think it's another challenge in Michael Adams' career to prove all the doubters wrong when something comes up like this occasion here."

Count me among the doubters. Nothing to do with Adams, in particular... it's just that the Mystics coaching job is the worst coaching job in the league.

Maybe this year will be different -- with Bullet back and a #2 draft pick, help is on the way. But you still have to figure out how to deal with a difficult group of players and the league's most petulant star.