Delle Donne, Mystics light up Liberty 93-77
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Elena Delle Donne scored 25 of her 30 points in the first half and the Washington Mystics cruised to a 93-77 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night.
Ariel Atkins added 23 points for the Mystics (24-8), who have clinched a top-two seed for the playoffs and extended their lead over second place Connecticut to 1 1/2 games. The season ends Sunday.
Washington raced to a 31-19 lead after one quarter and with Delle Donne scoring 17 points in the second quarter stretched the advantage to 58-40 at the break.
Delle Donne and LaToya Sanders both had 10 rebounds as the Mystics dominated the boards 42-23.
Marine Johannes led the Liberty (9-23), which has lost five straight and 13 of 14, with a career-high 22 points. The rookie from France had scored 21 points in her previous game.
The Mystics, who have won four straight, signed Tianna Hawkins, a former first-round pick, to a contract extension through the 2020 season, then rested her against the Liberty. Kristi Toliver missed her ninth straight game because of a knee injury that is expected to keep her out until the playoffs.
Regular Season Series
WSH wins 3-0
Game Information
- Referees:
- Tiara Cruse
- Maj Forsberg
- Janetta Graham
2023-24 Eastern Conference Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connecticut | 9 | 1 | .900 | - | L1 |
New York | 11 | 2 | .846 | +0.5 | W7 |
Atlanta | 5 | 4 | .556 | 3.5 | W1 |
Chicago | 4 | 6 | .400 | 5 | L1 |
Indiana | 3 | 9 | .250 | 7 | W1 |
Washington | 0 | 12 | .000 | 10 | L12 |