Elena Delle Donne scored 25 points, Ariel Atkins added 16 points and the Washington Mystics beat New York 78-69 on Thursday to extend the Liberty’s losing streak to five games.
Leading by six late in the game, Atkins disrupted a pass along the 3-point line and Alysha Clark grabbed the loose ball and raced for a fast-break layup to extend Washington’s lead to 77-69 with 36.7 seconds left. After a timeout, Sabrina Ionescu missed a long 3-pointer and Clark secured the rebound before making 1 of 2 free throws at 24.1.
Myisha Hines-Allen had 13 points and Clark finished with three points for Washington (17-11). The Mystics have a week off before playing at Dallas on July 28.
Natasha Howard had 17 points and 10 rebounds for New York (9-17). Ionescu scored 15 points and Marine Johannes added 12. The Liberty were playing their third consecutive day game.
Washington scored 12 unanswered points late in the first half until Ionescu completed a three-point play with 3.5 seconds left to pull New York within 40-37 at the break. The Mystics added an 18-6 run in the third quarter and led 61-48 early in the fourth quarter until New York scored 10 straight to get back in it.
New York scored the first 10 points of the game and also led 15-2.
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