The weight of expectations can crush you. Before the season, many picked Sacramento as the league's top team. But they now sit several games below .500, a long shot to make the playoffs.

The loss to Minnesota on Tuesday was the last straw, and after the game, the Monarchs fired coach Maura McHugh. GM Jerry Reynolds had hoped to avoid this, but the slide just didn't stop: ""It's all about performance," said Reynolds "and we haven't played to our potential."