New York Liberty drop seventh straight, falling to Washington Mystics, 75-58

The New York Liberty extended their losing streak to seven games, losing to the Washington Mystics, 75-58. The 58 points were the second fewest the Liberty scored this season.

New York, despite being out of playoff contention, fought hard throughout the game but the second half was the difference-maker again. The Liberty struggled to defend the perimeter and control ball movement inside the arc, a deadly combination. That led to open shots and the Mystics took advantage of the issue. In addition, turnovers played a huge factor with the Liberty players combining for 24 turnovers in the loss.

With the loss, the Liberty drops to 2-19 on the season, with one game left on Sunday, while the Mystics improve to 8-13 on their season and keeps their playoff hopes alive. New York was without Sabrina Ionescu (left ankle sprain) and Layshia Claredon, who was ruled out with a back injury.

Their win eliminated the Atlanta Dream from playoff contention, leaving only the Mystics and the Dallas Wings in the running for the eighth and final playoff spot.

As for the Liberty, who are the second-youngest team in the WNBA with a bright future ahead, there were a few positive takeaways from Saturday’s loss.

Kia Nurse, who’s playing like the veteran she is, continued her strong play, finishing with 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists in 33 minutes of play as a starter. Nurse shot 6-of-13 overall, going 2-of-6 from deep.

Kiah Stokes had a good performance as well, also scoring 15 points and grabbing five rebounds in 24 minutes of play. Stokes put her shooting on display, going 5-of-9 overall and 5-of-8 from deep in the loss. Coach Walt Hopkins, along with Kia Nurse, praised Stokes for her great three-point shooting performance following the loss. Stokes also praised her teammates and coaching staff for believing in her and giving her the confidence to shoot the three-ball...

The Liberty has only one game remaining for their season. Their final game will be played Sunday against the Dallas Wings at 12:00 PM ET.

• Game Report: Washington Mystics 75, New York Liberty 58 (with Video) - WNBA.com
• Hines-Allen Has 25, Helps Keep Mystics’ Playoff Hopes Alive - AP
• Kiah Stokes’ 5 Three-Pointers Not Enough to Overcome Mystics Lead - New York Liberty