New York Liberty upsets Washington Mystics 89-83 in WNBA playoffs New York Liberty advances to semifinals New York Liberty forward Natasha Howard was unstoppable in the paint, scoring 29 points and grabbing 19 rebounds to lead the Liberty to an 89-83 upset victory over the Washington Mystics in the first round of the WNBA playoffs on Tuesday night. Sabrina Ionescu added 22 points and 12 assists for the Liberty, who advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2015. Elena Delle Donne led the Mystics with 21 points, but she was held to just 5-of-15 shooting from the field. Aerial Powers added 19 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Mystics from losing their first home playoff game since 2018. The Liberty took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Mystics 29-19. Howard was dominant in the paint, scoring 12 points in the quarter. Ionescu also had a big third quarter, scoring 8 points and dishing out 5 assists. The Mystics made a run in the fourth quarter, cutting the Liberty's lead to 85-81 with just over two minutes remaining. But Howard and Ionescu made key plays down the stretch to seal the victory for the Liberty. The Liberty will face the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals. The Aces have won 10 straight games and are the heavy favorites to win the WNBA championship. But the Liberty have shown that they are a tough team to beat, and they will be looking to make a run to the Finals.
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