Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu combine for 46 points as the Liberty snap and eight-game losing streak and keep their postseason hopes alive.

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GAME RECAP: Liberty 91, Mystics 80

Leilani Mitchell hit the shot at the buzzer to take Sunday&#8217;s top spot.

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Sunday's Top Plays

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LAS VEGAS (July 16, 2021) &#8212; There is no panic, just determination to improve.
That is the mindset of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team following a second-straight exhibition loss, a 70-67 setback to Australia on Friday at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Coming off a 93-85 loss to the WNBA All-Stars on Wednesday, the U.S. was hoping to get back on track with another day of practice. But the USA, which will be pursuing its seventh-straight gold medal when the Tokyo Olympic Games begin in a week, had 18 turnovers and shot 37.3% (25-67 FGs) overall and was just 2-of-18 from 3-point.
“We&#8217;re getting better,” said USA head coach Dawn Staley (South Carolina). “Obviously not in the win column, but some of the things that we did out there were remarkably better than Wednesday. We just got to clean up some things.”
Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm) led the U.S. with 17 points and 12 rebounds, including 10 points and four rebounds in the second quarter. A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) was the only other American in double figures with 12 points, as all 11 players who saw action played at least 9 minutes, 51 seconds. Four-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) did not play for the second-straight game due to a hip muscle strain.
“Just keep working through it, work through the adversity,” Stewart said of solving the shooting woes. “I think that we&#8217;re all capable of knocking down 3s, and it&#8217;s just a matter of them going in. And then I think, at the same time putting pressure on the paint, like getting to the paint, getting to the free throw line, because once you get in that downhill attack mode, everything else opens up a little bit more.”
Ezi Magbegor, who plays on the WNBA’s Seattle Storm with U.S. Olympians Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd, led Australia with 17 points. Australia played without star Liz Cambage, who took herself off the Olympic roster Thursday following an incident in a scrimmage against Nigeria earlier in the day. Cambage also plays for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.
Thanks to Stewart’s strong second quarter, the U.S. was up 41-28 at halftime. But Australia, which still has five WNBA players on its roster, turned up the pressure on the Americans, who turned the ball over 15 times in the second half.
“They made it hard for us to make entry passes, and they made us go to a different option in our offense, and I don&#8217;t think we handled that well in the third quarter,” Staley said. “Other than that, we handled it pretty good. It&#8217;s just that spurt — and that&#8217;s a spurt that we&#8217;ll always have to be ready to guard against in any game that we play. It can come at the end of the game, it can come to the third quarter, it could come in the first quarter. We are familiarizing ourselves where we have some weaknesses, and we will continue to correct them.”
The Aussies made 10-of-26 3-pointers, which emphasized the Americans’ shooting struggles, and especially from distance. Following an Australia turnover with 10.9 seconds left, Stewart had a chance to send the game to overtime, but her 3-pointer from the right wing was off the mark.
“At times, we got pretty good ball movement, and then at times we get a little stagnant,” Staley said. “And I think that is just from everybody playing their style of play and what they do for their respective (WNBA) teams. But ball flow and ball movement will help any team, and we definitely have to do that, especially when we&#8217;re being challenged in catching the ball. If you move it quick enough, I think you can shift the defense a little bit. And I do believe our shooting percentage will increase with every reversal that we can get.”
Among the things the U.S. did well against Australia was dominate the boards. The Americans held a 41-28 rebounding advantage.
“There were spurts where we looked really, really good, where we were clicking all cylinders, and there were spurts where it was just bad, on both ends,” said U.S. guard Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), who had six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes. “We have to take care of the ball a lot better, but we&#8217;re learning each other on the fly.”
The U.S. wraps up pre-Olympic play on Sunday, July 18 against Nigeria. The 2:30 p.m. ET game will be on the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://click.usabasketball-email.com/?qs=d294df74e4718446ffd2867cc6bd98b8149152a1a5b0d004df40080ff9b3a9abdddca13fbeaaa50285fcdfcca4813200__;!!PMETyfE!ahInjNOpZDqxr9-RJzTzWi8QNLHruHorMFlE5YCjLaUTdw40GkH3IZ0MZl0$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Additional Quotes</a> (Dawn Staley, Chelsea Gray, Breanna Stewart)</li>
<li><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://click.usabasketball-email.com/?qs=d294df74e4718446ab41714a685adc8851ca120668569d3aa8a3352ea5ae6ed38ca30f07b1466e455ebf8dd66cab0099__;!!PMETyfE!ahInjNOpZDqxr9-RJzTzWi8QNLHruHorMFlE5YCjLaUTdw40GkH3CWkhX5g$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Box Score</a></li>
<li><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://click.usabasketball-email.com/?qs=d294df74e4718446e04b4ff00808742066451cab1f1b8866feccb50641e44fbdcc75c3d50bf53a535bf9de4739fae62b__;!!PMETyfE!ahInjNOpZDqxr9-RJzTzWi8QNLHruHorMFlE5YCjLaUTdw40GkH3ygTAScM$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Play-by-Play</a></li>
</ul>

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USA Women Can’t Overcome Shooting Woes in Narrow Exhibition Loss to Australia

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NEW YORK (AP) — Betnijah Laney scored 19 points and Jazmine Jones had 12 of her 17 points in the second half to help the New York Liberty rally from an 18-point deficit and beat the Washington Mystics 82-79 on Saturday, spoiling the homecoming of Tina Charles.
The former Liberty star and native New Yorker was traded to Washington as part of a three-team deal before the 2020 season. The Liberty used the picks they got from the Mystics to draft Jones and Leaonna Odom.
Charles helped Washington build an 18-point halftime advantage before New York rallied behind Jones to take an 80-79 lead with 52.1 seconds left on Reshanda Gray’s layup on a pass from Sabrina Ionescu. The 2020 No. 1 pick had five points and assisted on two baskets in the final 4:10 of the game.
“She was big for us down the stretch. That was vintage Sabrina,” Liberty coach Walt Hopkins said. “Had to manage her minutes or she would have played a lot more.”
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<div class="Component-adTitle-0-2-13">Washington had chances to take the lead in the final minute, but Charles missed two free throws with 52.1 seconds left. After an offensive foul with 23.6 seconds left by New York, the Mystics had three more opportunities. Charles passed to Leilani Mitchell in the corner for a 3 that missed. Charles got the offensive rebound and Zellous missed another jumper.</div>
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Charles then corralled one more board before she was called for an offensive foul with 2.3 seconds left.
Laney hit two free throws tbetsao seal the win for New York (9-9).
“I missed three key free throws,” said Charles of the last few minutes when she also missed a technical foul free throw. “Leilani had a great look, (Zellous) had a great look.”
Charles finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds. She is having an MVP-type season for Washington (7-10) after getting medical exemption last year because of the risk of severe complications from contracting COVID-19. She came into the game averaging a career-best 25.5 points and 9.1 rebounds.
Rebecca Allen and Reshanda Gray are the only players left from Charles’ time in New York. Allen was in a walking boot on her right foot and missed her third straight game.
“A Lot of people asked me if I was going to be emotional. My dream was to play at the Garden and that’s what I did. It’s different playing here,” Charles said. “This is a total new organization, total different people who are here. Bill Laimbeer isn’t here, Dan Padover, Kristin Bernert. The people who believed in me and brought me here. If they were still here it would be a whole different story. Playing against a team that happens to be in New York for me.”
Charles helped the Liberty to the best record in the Eastern Conference from 2015-17, but the team couldn’t get to the WNBA Finals.
After the first quarter — in which Charles had six points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal — the Liberty played a video tribute to the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She got a nice ovation from the crowd, which she stood and waved to.
“That was cool. I was surprised,” Charles said.
Washington led 28-15 after one quarter.
SIDELINED
The Mystics are short-handed with only eight healthy players. Natasha Cloud worked out before the game, but was still out with a sprained right ankle. Elena Delle Donne hasn’t played this season while recovering from back surgery. Erica McCall (right knee sprain) and Myisha Hines-Allen (left patellar tendon strain) also were out.
SCARY MOMENT
Jones went <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1411389940001296394?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flying out of bounds</a> trying to save a ball in the third quarter and jumped over the Mystics bench before flipping over the railing behind it. She was fine, popping right up afterwards.
“I need to be in Tokyo doing gymnastics,” Jones said. “That’s what my teammates said. I need to be in Tokyo.”
That play came a few minutes after Didi Richards sprained her neck on a loose ball. She had to be helped off the court.
“She got rocked pretty hard and with her injury history it was pretty scary for her,” Hopkins said.
UP NEXT
Mystics: Visit Chicago next Saturday.
Liberty: Host Dallas on Monday.

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Liberty Rally From 20 Down To Beat Mystics

Betnijah Laney leads New York with 19 points and adds 3 rebounds and 3 assists as the Liberty come from behind to beat the Mystics.

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Game Recap: Liberty 82, Mystics 79

Arike Ogunbowale scores a game-high 30 points to lead the Wings past the Mystics, 85-74. Tina Charles scores 27 points for the Mystics in the loss.

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GAME RECAP: Wings 85, Mystics 74

The Los Angeles Sparks get a career night performance from Te&#8217;a Cooper off the bench as she scores 26 points in a 89-82 Sparks win over the visiting Washington Mystics.

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Game Recap: Sparks 89, Mystics 82

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LOS ANGELES &#8212; (AP) — Te&#8217;a Cooper scored a career-high 26 points, Amanda Zahui B. added 17 and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the short-handed Washington Mystics 89-82 on Thursday night.
Cooper&#8217;s steal and fast-break layup extended Los Angeles&#8217; lead to 84-80 with 1:25 left. Zahui B. sealed it by blocking Tina Charles&#8217; 3-point attempt in the corner with 33.9 seconds left.
Brittney Sykes had 14 points and Karlie Samuelson added 13 for Los Angeles (6-7). The Sparks got 53 points off their bench, while Washington had eight.
Leilani Mitchell made six 3-pointers and scored 26 points for Washington (7-7), which only played seven because of injuries. Charles had 25 points and 10 rebounds — ending her two-game streak of scoring at least 30 points.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis was in attendance.

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Cooper Has Career-High 26 Points, Sparks Beat Mystics 89-82

Tina Charles scores 34 points with 16 rebounds to lead the Mystics over the Storm, 87-83.

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Game Recap: Mystics 87, Storm 83

Kelsey Mitchell scored 18 points and Teaira McCowan added a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) as the Fever take care of the Mystics at home.

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GAME RECAP: Fever 89, Mystics 77

Latest

Leilani Mitchell

CAREER: Totaled 367 career games (187 starts) over 12 WNBA season with the New York Liberty, Washington Mystics and Phoenix Mercury…Holds career averages of 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists…Played the first six seasons of  her  career  with  the  Liberty  (2008-2013)&#8230;did not play   in   the   WNBA   in   2014   and   only  appeared  in  10  games  in  2016  with  Washington  after  missing  majority  of  season  due to Olympics…Named  WNBA  Most  Improved  Player  for  the  2010  and 2019 seasons.
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2020: Started in all 22 games, averaging 9.5 points and a career-high 5.4 assists per game…Had 14 games with at least five assists…Recorded two games with 10+ assists…Scored a season-high 20 points and dished a season-high 12 assists on 9/4 vs. Chicago…Scored at least 10 points in 12 games…Led the team in assists in 16 games…Finished the season ranked fourth in the league in assists per game at 5.4.
 
2019: Averaged a career-high in points (12.8), rebounds (3.0), field goal percentage (44.1) and minutes (30.3)…Ranked second in three-point makes per game (2.3) this season and made at least three in 13 of the 32 games (27 starts) she played in…Ranked fourth in the league in three-point makes (74) and third in percentage (43.0%) while attempting the eighth-most in the league (172)…Matched the WNBA regular season record for most three pointers in a game (eight) on July 30 at Washington in a career-high (28) performance&#8230; Her seven threes in the second half matched the WNBA regular season record for most threes in a half&#8230; Her .667 percent from three-point range on July 30 is the best three-point percentage in a regular season game in WNBA history with a minimum of 12 attempts…Scored 10 or more points 21 times after doing so two times in 2018…Notched 11-consecutive double-digit scoring performances, a career high from July 20 to August 20…Notched her 1,000th-career assist on Sept. 8 against Las Vegas …Notched her first-career double-double, scoring 18 points and dishing a season-high 11 assists on June 28 against Indiana. She shot a perfect 4-for-4 from three which is the second-most consecutive threes by a player in franchise history behind Briann January’s five on May 31 …Became the 12th player in franchise history to score 1,000 points in Mercury uniform on August 27 at New York
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2018: Appeared in 31 games in 2018, missing two games in July following the birth of her son in Australia…missed third game on August 7 (coach’s decision)…Scored a season-high 10 points twice (May 18 vs. Dallas and July 8 at Atlanta)…Dished a season-high eight assists on July 10 at Dallas…recorded five or more assists in five games on the season…Led all Mercury players off the bench in scoring (4.4 points per game) and assists (2.3 assists per game) on the season…Passed Anna DeForge this season for 10th place on the Mercury’s all-time assists chart this season and now has 282 in her Mercury career…Shot .851 percent from the free throw line, her highest shooting percentage from the charity strip since 2015 when she shot .889 percent…Ranked fourth on the team in assists (70)…Has recorded 70 or more assists in all but one season (19 in 2016 after playing in only 10 games)…Knocked down a season-high three three-pointers twice (6/26 at New York and 8/20 against Indiana)…Played in her 300th-career game on 7/5 against Connecticut.
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2017: One-of-five Mercury players to appear in all 34 games (seven starts), including the final three of the regular season…Scored in double-figures in 14 games this season, including eight of the first 10 games to begin the year…Finished in double-figures in a career-best seven-straight games from  5/17-6/7…Scored a season-high 19 points off the bench on 5/ 27 against Dallas…Finished four-of-six (66.7%) from three-point range…Added four assists, three rebounds and three steals in the game…Finished the season with averages of 8.0 points and 3.6 assists per game, both were her highest averages since 2017 when she averaged 9.3 points and 3.8 assists per game…Finished 14th in the WNBA in assists per game (3.6) and 12th in total assists (121)…Dished five or more assists in 14 games on the season…Recorded four or more assists in 19 games…Recorded a season-high eight assists on 8/4 at Connecticut… Finished with 80 rebounds in 2017, the third-most rebounds she’s collected in a season (88 in 2010, 84 in 2012)…Grabbed a career-high five offensive rebounds on 6/18 at Los Angeles…Recorded a career-best 10 blocks on the season (previous high was six in 2010).
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2016: Missed  the  first  24  games  of  the  WNBA season  to  train  with  the  Australian  National Team  and  to  compete  for  the  Opals  in  the  2016 Rio Olympics…Signed with the Washington Mystics following the Olympics and appeared in 10 games… Finished the season with averages of 5.9 ppg and 1.9 apg in 10 games…Scored  in  all  but  two  of  the  10  games  she  appeared in…Scored  a  season-high  20  points  on  9/7  vs. Chicago&#8230;Shot .700 percent from the field, including  converting  on  five  of  her  seven three-point  attempts&#8230; Recorded three or more assists in five of the 10 games played in.
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2015: Appeared in 34 games (26 starts) for the Phoenix Mercury… Averaged 6.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game…Shot .396 from three-point territory, the third consecutive season she shot .375 percent or better…Shot a career-best .889 percent from the charity stripe…Scored a season high-high 25 points on 6/12 at Indiana… Totaled 10-plus points nine times…Dished a season-high seven assists on 6/14 vs. Minnesota.
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2014: Took the 2014 WNBA season off to spend time with her family in Australia.
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2013: Averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 34 games (nine starts) for the Liberty… Shot a career-best .857 from the free-throw line… Reached double figures on seven occasions… Scored a season-high 16 points on 6/14 vs. Connecticut… Totaled 70+ rebounds for the fourth consecutive season.
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2012: Appeared in 34 games (25 starts)… Averaged 6.5 points and 3.0 assists per game.. Scored in double-figures in nine games…Led the Liberty shooting .411 percent from three-point range (53-129)… Tied for first on the time with 53 made three-pointers and second with 103 assists.
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2011: Averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 30 games (all starts)… Registered a career-high, scoring 24 points on 9/2 at Minnesota… Led the Liberty with most three-point field goals made in a game with six (9/2 at Minnesota).
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2010: Started in all 24 games that she played… Averaged 9.3 points and 3.8 assists per game… Scored 10-plus points 14 times… Led the team in three-point field-goal percentage (48.6%) and was second in three-point field goals made (72)… Recipient of Most Improved Player of the Year award.
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2009: Appeared in 34 games (two starts)…Averaged 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game… Led the team in assists six times and rebounds once… Finished sophomore campaign, leading the WNBA in assists per turnover ratio (2.92).
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2008: Appeared in 34 games with five starts…Ranked second in the WNBA for assists per turnover (2.49)… Scored in double figures twice and led the team in assists nine times.
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COLLEGE: Averaged  16.8  points,  7.5  assists  and  4.1  rebounds at Utah in senior season en route to a 2008 NCAA Tournament bid…Sat out 2006-07 season after transferring from Idaho to Utah…While  at  Idaho,  named  honorable  mention  All-American   by   the   Associated   Press   and the WBCA, and was one of 11 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation’s top point guard…Left Idaho as the school’s career record  for steals (323) and also a single-game record for three-pointers (seven).
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INTERNATIONAL: Played for the UC Capitals of the WNBL in Australia during the 2018-19 WNBA offseason…averaged 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 24 games…shot 41.7 percent (60-of-144) from three-point range on the season…Played for Hatay BSB in Turkey during the 2017-18 WNBA offseason…averaged 11.8 points and 4.1 assists in 22 Turkish Legaue games…averaged 12.1 points and 5.6 assists in EuroCup action…Spent   the   2016-17   WNBA   offseason   with   Sydney of the WNBL in Australia&#8230;Led Sydney to  the  WNBL  title  after  leading  the  league  in  assists  per  game  (6.0)  and  ranked  seventh  in  scoring (16.0 ppg)…Member of the 2016 Australian national team that competed in the Rio Olympics• Spent    the    2015-16    with    the    Adelaide    Lightning of the WNBL in Australia&#8230;Averaged team  highs  in  points  per  game  (17.4)  and  assists per game (5.2)…Spent the 2014-15 season with Sydney of the WNBL  in  Australia&#8230;Led  the  league  in  assists  per  game  with  5.6&#8230;averaged  a  team-high  12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds…Played with Australia in the 2014 FIBA World Championships for women which was her first stint on the national team and won a bronze medal…Played  the  2013-14  season  with  Dandenong  of   the   WNBL in Australia&#8230;Averaged   11.9 points and a team-high 5.4 assists while shooting  .453 percent  from  the  field  and .411 percent from three-point range…Also has played professionally in Croatia and France.
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PLAYOFFS: Has made eight playoff appearances in her career (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)… Has appeared in 33 playoff games (14 starts), 17 with the Mercury&#8230; Has a playoff career average of 5.3 points and 2.2 assists… Started in the Mercury’s only playoff game in 2019, averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 assists…Made appearances in seven playoff games for Phoenix in 2018… Averaged 1.7 points in 7.0 minutes of action… Started in all five of the Mercury’s playoff games in 2017, averaging 15.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists… Averaged playoff career highs in points per game (15.0) and assists per game (3.8)… Scored a playoff career-high 19 points at Los Angeles on September 12 in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals…Came off the bench in four playoff games for Phoenix in 2015, averaging 4.0 points and 3.5 assists while shooting .500 from three-point territory…Made a total of 16 playoff appearances with the New York Liberty (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012)…Averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in two games during the 2012 WNBA playoffs… In three games (all starts) averaged 5.7 points and 1.7 assists for the Liberty during the 2011 playoffs…In five 2010 playoff games (all starts) averaged 3.2 points, 3.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game… As a rookie, appeared in six games for the Liberty… Averaged 4.8 points and 1.3 assists per game…Shot .500 from three-point range and .429 percent from the floor.
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PERSONAL: Leilani Stamah Mitchell was born in Richland, Wash. to Dennis Mitchell and the late Ellie Majid…Sister to Travis, Reggie, Tyler, Troy and Robbie …Born in the United States, but holds dual citizenship with Australia, which is the native country of her mother …Family consumer studies major at Utah …Enjoys swimming and mountain biking …Following her playing days, hopes to coach or teach …Favorite singer is Usher…Guiltiest pleasure is candy
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TRANSACTIONS: Selected  in  the  second  round  (25th  overall)  of   the   2008   WNBA   Draft   by   the   Phoenix   Mercury&#8230; Acquired by New York via trade with Phoenix  in  exchange  for  the  Liberty’s  2009  third  round  draft  pick  on  May  7,  2008&#8230;Later  signed as a free agent by the Mercury as a free agent on February 4, 2015…Re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury on June 5, 2019…Signed with the Washington Mystics on February 13, 2020