Behind an aggressive defense, the New York Liberty led from start to finish and coasted to a 67-53 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Mystics.
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Phillips' Liberty soared past the Mystics on Saturday. Jesse D. Garrabrant WNBAE/Getty Images |
At 14-6, the Mystics have been one one of the league's most surprising teams and already have matched a franchise record for wins in a season.
But they were never in Saturday's contest and the absence of superstar Chamique Holdsclaw, the WNBA's leading scorer and rebounder, may finally be catching up to them. The Mystics had won four of their first five games without Holdsclaw, who is still sidelined with a left ankle sprain.
Washington, which dropped to 8-1 at the MCI Center, was held scoreless for the first 6:20 and never recovered, missing 13 of its first 16 shots.
The Liberty scored the game's first seven points and build a 37-22 lead at the intermission. New York shot 57 percent (16-for-28) in the opening half while holding Washington to just 28 percent (9-of-32).
The Liberty stretched their lead to 40-22 on Robinson's three-pointer early in the second half before the Mystics made a brief run, twice cutting the deficit to eight in the final five minutes.
Coco Miller and Helen Luz scored 11 points apiece for the Mystics, who finished at 36 percent (22-of-61) from the field. New York shot 49 percent for the game (25-for-51).
