Following two losses in their previous meetings against the Mystics, the New York Liberty finally obtained a 60-59 victory this past Sunday. The win is the Liberty’s ninth of the year, although the team remains in last place of the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 9-15.

For the Mystics, the loss is their fourth in a row. The team hasn’t been able to find a rhythm, and its record has dropped to an even 12-12, with the Washington team falling from third place to fifth place in Eastern Conference standings.

The game proved to be one marked by poor shooting from the very beginning; neither team could control the action consistently.

The Mystics began the first quarter with some confidence after an 8-1 run in the first three minutes of the game. However, Liberty player Janel McCarville began to add points for New York, scoring 8 to put New York up by 2. At the end of the quarter, Washington’s Lindsey Harding scored a jump shot to tie the game, 17-17.

The second quarter was marred by poor shooting; neither team was able to score in the first three minutes. New York opened the score first that quarter, then each team scored twice; however, once again, the game saw a three-minute lull. Washington scored only 6 points in the quarter – a season low – and half time began in favor of the Liberty 31-23.

By the third quarter, the Mystics were determined to come back in the game, improving their defense and capitalizing on offensive opportunities. The assistance of Alana Beard, who scored two jump shots, combined with a great defensive effort from the entire team allowed the Mystics to close the score to 3 points halfway through the quarter and then gain the lead. However, a turnaround shot by the Liberty’s Shameka Christon brought the score to 40-40 by the end of the third period.

In the decisive fourth quarter, the Mystics finally took control of the action, taking a 5-point lead with 5:47 left. But then McCarville came to the rescue for New York, scoring 7 points in a row as well as a last three-point play with 9.1 seconds left. Harding tried to score a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left, but her attempt failed; at the end, the Liberty took the game by a single point, 60-59.

At the end of the game, Mystics coach Julie Plank was not only disappointed in her team’s 37% field goal shooting, but also in its free throw line – which was awful.

“We can't go 50 percent from the line and win games. Our free throw shooting is poor. We're 13th in the league, I don't know. We have to be more consistent with that, and we did miss a lot of easy shots," Plank stated.

The best scorers for the New York Liberty were Janel McCarville with 19 points and 3 rebounds, Shameka Christon with 14 points and 5 rebounds, and Catherine Kraayeveld with 7 points and 6 rebounds. For the Washington Mystics the best scorers were Alana Beard with 18 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds; Monique Currie with 12 points and 4 rebounds; and finally Lindsey Harding with 10 points and 7 assists.

The Mystics will now play four games out West, starting Tuesday night against the Sparks and then taking Phoenix, Sacramento, and Seattle later in the week. New York, on the other hand, will face Connecticut back to back Wednesday and Friday.

About the Author

Ally White is a top senior copy writer on WNBA games and sports action for the sportsbetting www.instantactionsports.com/.
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