Three years ago, John Whisenant screwed up. He knew it before he walked out the door, before he called his wife. He had let his ego swell during contract negotiations, demanded a hefty raise to continue his dual role as Monarchs coach/general manager, and when the Maloofs stuck to their budget, Whiz quit the coaching gig in a snit.

Regrets, he has a few.

Imagine if he had stuck around. Would Yolanda Griffith have retired here? Would the Monarchs have returned to the WNBA Finals? Would the players be better-conditioned? Would the youngsters be further along? Instead, Whiz remained as GM, hired an unproven Jenny Boucek and then presented her with a roster created in his own image.

Same players, new coach.

Tough job.

Historically, the Monarchs succeed as an ensemble act, their identity formed by the swarming, aggressive "white line" defense that exhausts opponents. They attack in waves, expending energy for 94 feet, shuttling in and out to catch quick breathers, relying on the five starters to close out the games.

Boucek eventually scrapped Whisenant's approach, which she had every right to do since it was her team. Basketball isn't a one-scheme-fits-all sport. There are different ways to win. But her system was more passive than aggressive, consistent only in spurts and rarely effective.

As the Monarchs stumbled to a 3-10 start this season, players began expressing doubts. Some complained that defense wasn't a priority. A few found Boucek's daily "soul food" sessions – half-hour chats where players are encouraged to share emotional, intellectual or spiritual thoughts – distracting and tiresome.

Whisenant, who informed Boucek of his decision Sunday, acknowledged the non-basketball issues, but cited the deteriorating defense and poor record as determining factors. The stats indeed were grim. The Monarchs rank near the bottom in the pertinent defensive categories, among them opponents' field-goal percent and points allowed.

Though Whisenant had remained in the background during most of Boucek's two-plus seasons, fearful of stoking the perception that he was micromanaging, his demeanor following Saturday's last-second loss to the Phoenix Mercury hinted that a change was being contemplated, and perhaps was even imminent.

"I think we can win with this team," he said, "and if we're going to make a change to try to salvage the season, we had to do it quickly. Now we'll see if we have enough time. The good thing is, we have so many players who were with me here before. We know the defense works."

During his four seasons as head coach, Whisenant guided the Monarchs to four Western Conference finals, one championship (2005) and a return to the Finals a year later. He transformed his players into true believers. After a few initial snags, the powerful Griffith became a staunch supporter. Ticha Penicheiro, the league's career assist leader, developed into one of the WNBA's premier defenders. DeMya Walker emerged as a major scorer and defender. Nicole Powell and Kara Lawson dramatically changed their bodies, losing weight and gaining the stamina to play his demanding style.

Though Rebekkah Brunson, Walker and Lawson have been hampered this season by injuries, the overriding sense within the organization – and the locker room – is that the players have underachieved.

"The record is not acceptable for the types of players we have on this team," Lawson said.

Asked if she anticipates an immediate improvement, she laughed.

"You'll see it," she added, "or you'll see 11 players sitting on the bench. You'll see Phoenix playing five on zero. That's what you'll see if the level of play isn't immediately lifted."

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.