The New York Liberty (18-13) clinched a sport in the WNBA Playoffs with a 78-62 victory over the WNBA’s best team the Minnesota Lynx (24-7) on Friday night.

Leading all Liberty scorers was Leilani Mitchell, who finished with 24 points, connecting with six three pointers. Also having a good night were Cappie Pondexter and Plenette Pierson who both recorded 13 points each.

The Lynx had their six-game winning streak snapped tonight, but still was able to clinch the best record in the league-which means that Minnesota will have home-court advantage throughout their playoff run.

It has been a while for fans of Mitchell since they have seen her sweet three-point shooting, as the guard has struggled as of late. In the past five games, Lei was just 4-of-19 from beyond the arc and 4-of-24 total.

After leading the league last season with her 3-point shot, Mitchell’s successful shooting will be one of the many keys to any success the Liberty will have with their playoff run.

Another key is the play of Pondexter, who continues to be the Queen of the second-half, as she was able to record eight of the 13 points in the later part of the game.

The Liberty is now one game behind second-place Connecticut (19-12) and one game ahead of Atlanta (17-14) in the Eastern Conference.

This home-and-home series will now head to Newark, N.J.  for a scheduled 4:00 p.m. start on Sunday.

Written on September 3, 2011