Liberty’s Winning Streak Ends in Narrow Loss
This time, the Liberty just couldn’t pull through in the closing moments.
Sabrina Ionescu’s last-minute layup fell short, as did her ambitious three-pointer in the dying seconds. In a game marked by a barrage of fouls, Liberty stumbled on two crucial opportunities with 11.8 seconds left, ultimately losing 86-83. This defeat snapped their impressive eight-game winning streak.
After a timeout called by the Mystics, Kiki Iriafen skillfully maneuvered through the Liberty defense for a layup. Then, after a missed layup from Stewart and his fifth foul, he sank a crucial free throw to put the Mystics ahead.
In the last play for Liberty, Ionescu was handed the ball but missed her shot. Meanwhile, Sato Sabally’s desperate attempt at the buzzer didn’t find its mark either.
The loss came shortly after a thrilling one-point victory against the Sky on Wednesday, in another tense outing, but this time they couldn’t escape with a win.
In those final moments, Ionescu managed to drive to the basket and tie the game at 81-81. However, she then made a critical foul on second-year All-Star Sonia Citron, who converted both free throws for an 83-81 lead.
There was a moment when it seemed like the Liberty, typically adept at finding solutions, might clinch the win again. With under seven minutes to go, they briefly regained the lead thanks to two three-pointers by Marin Johannes and Leonie Fievich.
Despite Ionescu’s shooting woes, Stewart made a layup on the opposing side, quickly securing a rebound that allowed Jonquel Jones to score. Liberty even built an eight-point lead, their largest of the night, with under five minutes remaining.
However, that advantage quickly slipped away, thanks to some sloppy passing and a slow response in transition. Iliafen’s layup combined with Michaela O’Nien’s steal and basket tied the game at 79-79 with just two minutes left.
Liberty also faced foul trouble towards the end, with Stewart holding four fouls and Sabally accumulating four early in the final period. Jones wasn’t far behind with three fouls.
The starters for Liberty had a quiet showing until the second half, but the depth of the team was apparent. Sabally and Han Shu led the scoring with eight points each, while Stewart and Fievich shone late in the game, finishing with 16 and 19 points, respectively. Sabally added 13, and Jones chipped in with 10.
The matchup was competitive right from the start, with both teams finishing the first quarter only three points apart. Citron stepped up in the second quarter, netting eight straight points that energized the Mystics, and that momentum carried into the third quarter, giving the Mystics an early 7-4 edge.
Despite Citron’s determined scoring, Liberty responded time and again, even with some awkward plays, such as Sabally’s three-pointer following an offensive foul turnover. They managed to wrap up the third quarter with a slim two-point lead.
