The Washington Times suggests there is a rift on the Washington Mystics between Chamique Holdsclaw and Head Coach Michael Adams...and that one will not be back next season.

Last night, Alana Beard scored 26 points as the Mystics defeated the New York Liberty, 71-58. But the talk of the town in The Washington Post's game story is the denial that a rift between Holdsclaw and Coach Adams has caused Mique's absence. Team President, Susan O'Malley states Mique's absence is for an unspecified medical condition. Pat Summitt says that the rumor that a rift is the reason Mique is on the injured list is false.

Notice that both do not deny a rift...just that a rift is not the cause of Chamique's absence. Now, Murriel Page claims that there isn't a rift between Chamique and Coach Adams. Yet I have heard rumors of a rift for a few months now. Remember, this is Adams' first coaching job. And Chamique has had conflicts with other coaches in Washington who were eventually fired. Nancy Darsch was one. WS&E fired Darsch, in large part because of the Mique-Darsch conflict. Tom Maher was another coach Chamique did not care for (and former Mystics star, Nikki McCray, was not a fan of Maher either).

In pro sports, coaches can be and are hired and fired because of the players. The players rule the game in the pros (in contrast to college, where the coaches rule).

What is interesting is the rumored fued between Holdsclaw and McCray. I do not believe it is true. When Phoenix was considering signing McCray as a free agent, Chamique made a phone call to Seth Sulka (Mercury GM) on Nikki's behalf. Mique had great things to say about Nikki (about her locker room demeanor and her defense) and Sulka used those comments to make the decision to sign McCray.