Sun-Liberty Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Aug 21 2010 3:48PM

The New York Liberty appeared to be headed for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in eight years. They may have to settle for second.

New York will try to rebound from its first loss in nearly a month Sunday when it concludes the regular season against the Connecticut Sun at Madison Square Garden.

The Liberty (21-12) were on the inside track to finishing the regular season atop the East, but saw their franchise-record 10-game winning streak halted with a dramatic 75-74 loss at Washington on Friday. The game featured three lead changes in the final 22.3 seconds before the Mystics' Lindsey Harding made the clinching layup with 8.8 to play.

New York is in a three-way tie for first with Washington and defending conference champion Indiana.

The Liberty can still claim the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2002 by beating the Sun (17-16) while Washington loses at Atlanta. New York holds the tiebreaker on the Fever, who host Minnesota. However, if New York, Washington and Indiana all win Sunday, then the Mystics will finish atop the East on tiebreakers.

"We're not done with what we came to do this season," said Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter, second in the WNBA with 21.2 points per game. "We have a goal and we are going to keep trying to reach it."

The Liberty are 3-1 this season against Connecticut (17-16), winning twice at MSG. They took the most recent matchup there, 71-67 on Aug. 1 behind 24 points from Pondexter.

Connecticut has been eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year, but will be trying to close out the season with a season high-tying third straight win.

The Sun ended a four-game road losing streak Friday by beating Chicago 78-71 as guard Renee Montgomery scored 20 points. She tallied 22 in Connecticut's home finale, a 90-62 win over league-worst Tulsa on Tuesday.

"I don't care if the game isn't going to get us to the playoffs, the game isn't going to do anything, but it's still about to pride," Montgomery said Friday. "We are out there, people are coming to see you play and you need to perform."

Montgomery is second on the team with an average of 13.2 points and first with 4.1 assists. However, she's averaging 21.2 points and 5.0 assists over the last five road games.

Pondexter lifts Liberty past Sun 88-87 in OT

By VIN A. CHERWOO
Posted Aug 22 2010 7:09PM

NEW YORK (AP) Cappie Pondexter scored six of her 31 points in overtime, lifting the New York Liberty to an 88-87 win Sunday over the Connecticut Sun for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Nicole Powell scored 14 points for New York (22-12), which set a franchise record for victories.

Tina Charles had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Sandrine Gruda scored 18 points and Renee Montgomery had 17 for the Sun (17-17). Kara Lawson added 15 points, and Charles extended her WNBA record for double-doubles to 22.

McCarville made two free throws to give the Liberty an 85-82 lead with 2:53 left in the extra period. After Charles made a free throw 12 seconds later, Pondexter's jumper gave New York a three-point advantage with 56 seconds to go.

Asjha Jones hit two free throws for the Sun 21 seconds later, but Pondexter hit another jumper in the paint with 13.8 seconds remaining. Tan White had a short jumper for the Sun with 1.2 seconds left.

Washington, New York and Indiana began the day in a three-way tie for first place in the East. The Mystics secured the conference's No. 1 seed with a 90-81 win at Atlanta. The Fever played later at Minnesota, but is locked in the third spot because New York held the tiebreaker.

New York will host Indiana in Game 1 of their first-round series either Wednesday or Thursday.

After trailing by 12 early in the third quarter, the Sun made it 65-64 on Montgomery's layup with 8:19 left in the fourth.

Carson hit a jumper for New York 13 seconds later, and Gruda made four free throws about 1 1/2 minutes apart to give the Sun a 68-67 lead with 6:22 to go in regulation. It was Connecticut's first advantage since it was up 3-2.

Pondexter followed with a three-point play to put New York back on top with 5:50 remaining, but Gruda's jumper tied the score 11 seconds later.

The teams traded leads the next 2 1/2 minutes until Powell made a layup and Pondexter converted a three-point play to give New York a 79-75 lead with 1:53 remaining. Powell added a free throw 9 seconds later to push the advantage to five.

Lawson's 3 pulled Connecticut within two, and Charles' layup tied the score with 41.8 seconds left in the fourth.

Pondexter's potential winning shot at the end of regulation went off the backboard.

The Liberty led 46-34 after Mitchell's third 3 of the game early in the third quarter. The Sun then scored the next nine points to pull within three on Charles' shot with 6:46 left in the period.

New York answered with a 10-2 run, but the Sun scored the final seven points of the third quarter to pull to 62-59 on Anete Jekabsone-Zogota's 3 with 44.6 seconds left.

Pierson made a rare 3-pointer to give the Liberty a 43-34 lead at halftime. Her shot with 23.4 seconds before the break was her fourth of the season and first in 25 games with New York.

• Sun: --
• Liberty: --

• Sun: --
• Liberty: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #55 Eric Brewton, #9 Denise Brooks, #45 Tom Mauer
• Attendance: 15989
• Duration: 2:9