The Connecticut Sun may consider themselves contenders for the WNBA title, but they've been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs two years running.

After two straight losing seasons, the Washington Mystics know they have plenty of room for improvement.

The veteran Sun begin their season Saturday when they host the Mystics in Julie Plank's debut as Washington coach.

Connecticut went 21-13 last season and fell one game shy of the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite their high seeding, the Sun were eliminated in the first round by New York, a year after losing to Indiana in their opening postseason series.

While Connecticut is looking to get better, star point guard Lindsay Whalen may be hard-pressed to improve upon a 2008 season in which she was runner-up in the league MVP voting. Whalen averaged career highs of 14.0 points and 5.4 assists and lowered her turnover average for the fourth straight year to a career-best 1.9 per game.

"Every year you try to add a couple things to your game, a couple things to bring back to your team," Whalen said. "Just improve upon things you need to work on. That's a huge thing in the offseason."

Leading scorer Asjha Jones (17.0 ppg) is back along with Tamika Whitmore, who averaged 12.6 points last year in her first season with Connecticut.

Having a veteran team may benefit the Sun early in the season because of the shorter three-week training camp this year.

"I think it means you have to come in that much more prepared before camp even starts," Whalen said. "It's on each individual player to come in in shape."

Washington probably would have preferred more time to get ready under Plank, who was named the franchise's 11th coach after spending the previous nine years as a WNBA assistant. The Mystics went 10-24 last year, fired coach Tree Rollins after 22 games and lost their final nine contests.

The Mystics are buoyed by the selection of local product Marissa Coleman of Maryland with the No. 2 pick in the draft. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 18.1 points and 8.6 rebounds while helping the Terrapins reach the NCAA regional semifinals.

"It's exciting to play in Washington, in front of my family and friends," said Coleman, who grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Washington.

The Mystics also added guard Matee Ajavon through the Houston Comets' dispersal draft, acquired guard Lindsey Harding from Minnesota and signed center Chasity Melvin, who played for Chicago the last two seasons after four years with Washington from 2004-07.

"I think Washington has improved," Whalen said. "They got some draft picks and made some trades."

Connecticut went 3-1 versus Washington in 2008.