For the first time this season, the New York Liberty traveled to Washington, DC for a matchup against the Mystics in the new Sports and Entertainment Arena. The Liberty were defeated in the matinee game, 101-72.
Kia Nurse led the Liberty with a game-high 24 points on 40% (8-20) shooting from the field and 60% (6-10) from beyond the arc. Nurse set a new career high three-point goals in a single game with six.
The first quarter was dominated by the Mystics. The team outscored the Liberty 31-14 in the opening ten minutes. To close the opening quarter, Washington went on a 18-4 run to give them a 17-point advantage.
Washington led by double-digits for the remainder of the contest.
Rebecca Allen opened the second quarter with a two-point jumper for the Liberty igniting a 6-0 Liberty run. The teams traded baskets before New York was scoreless for more than two minutes at the end of the second quarter. The Liberty went into the locker room down 16 after being down as many as 18 in the first half.
New York forced a shot clock violation and scored on the other end to open the third quarter. Back-to-back baskets by Tina Charles put the Liberty within 14 before Elena Delle Donne made a long two on the baseline.
Two consecutive three-point shots later and the Mystics quickly went up by 22 with 6:26 left in the third quarter. The Mystics rolled into the fourth quarter up 29 on the Liberty.
Despite tying the fourth quarter in scoring, the Liberty were too far behind to make a significant comeback in the game.
UP NEXT: The Liberty is headed home to New York for a four game homestand beginning with the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, August 27 at 7 p.m. ET.
LIBERTY NOTES:
- New York shot 37.5% from the field and 42.1% from beyond the arc.
- The Liberty started Kia Nurse, Tanisha Wright, Bria Hartley, Amanda Zahui B and Tina Charles. For the second consecutive game, New York started Amanda Zauhi B.
- Kia Nurse scored 24 points, making 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Nurse set a new career high in three-point field goals made with six.
- Bria Hartley and Tina Charles added 16 points apiece.
- Tina Charles has scored double figures in the last eight of nine games. She had 16 points on 53.8% (7-13) shooting from the field.
- Rebecca Allen added nine points off of the bench on 50% shooting from the field.
MYSTICS NOTES:
- Washington shot 52% from the field and 41.4% from the three-point line. The Mystics bench contributed 50 points.
- Delle Donne led scoring for the Mystics with 22 points on 61.5% (8-13) shooting from the field.
- LaToya Sanders blocked three shots to pass 200 career blocked shots.
- The Mystics shot 100% (11-11) from the free throw line.
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