Mystics Overcome Early Struggles, Beat Liberty 78-69

The Washington Mystics took on and beat the New York Liberty early on Thursday. The Mystics’ 9-point win puts them just a game back now of the Seattle Storm for the fourth seed as their July 30th matchup gets closer. For the Liberty, their losing streak was extended to five games.

New York quickly jumped out to a 10-0 lead early on and were later up 15-2. But Washington fought back throughout the rest of the half. They scored 12 unanswered points late in the half before a Sabrina Ionescu three pulled the Liberty back within three at the half with a score of 40-37.

The Mystics went on an 18-6 run in the third quarter and led by 13 early on in the fourth. The Liberty then scored 10 straight points to make it a game again but Washington held on to win by 9. It is their sixth win in their last eight games.

Natasha Howard led the way for the Liberty with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ionescu had 15 & 8 and Marine Johannes added 12 points off the bench. It was the third consecutive day game for the team. Next up for New York is a matchup back home against the defending champion Chicago Sky on Saturday night.

Elena Delle Donne dominated for the Mystics, leading all scorers with 25 points. All-Star Ariel Atkins scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Myisha Hines-Allen was strong off the bench, contributing 13 points and 8 rebounds. Washington gets a week off before visiting the Dallas Wings next Thursday.