Mystics and Liberty Gain Playoff Spots
On the final weekend of the WNBA regular season, the playoff picture finally got much clearer.
In the Eastern Conference, Washington (17-16) and New York (17-16) clinched playoff berths with road victories Friday. Connecticut (17-16) lost, but is already in, leaving Sunday’s matchup between Detroit (16-17) and Charlotte (16-17) to determine the fourth and final playoff spot.
In the Western Conference, Phoenix’s loss to Washington put the Mercury on the brink of elimination, with the Minnesota Lynx joining the Sparks and Seattle Storm as one of the three playoff qualifiers.
In order to claim the final playoff spot in the West, Phoenix needs to win its home game Sunday against Houston, and the Sacramento Monarchs (16-16) must lose both their remaining games, which are also at home. The Monarchs have the edge over Phoenix in a tiebreaker.
In Friday’s games:
Washington 74, Phoenix 67 -- Alana Beard had 21 points at Phoenix to lift the Mystics, who have won five consecutive games without All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw. Diana Taurasi had 25 points for Phoenix.
New York 69, Connecticut 66 -- Crystal Robinson had 22 points to lead the Liberty at Uncasville, Conn.
San Antonio 82, Charlotte 65 -- The Silver Stars (9-25) ended their season with a win at San Antonio.
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