Mitchell, Liberty extend streak with win vs. Fever
From left, New York Liberty #17 Essence Carson, #5 Leilani Mitchell, #33 Plenette Pierson and #7 Taj McWilliams-Franklin celebrate in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Fever. (Aug. 17, 2010) Credit: JASON DECROW
A playoff berth in its back pocket, an MVP-caliber guard, the longest winning streak in team history - it didn't seem like the Liberty had much left to prove.
But this was Indiana, leader of the Eastern Conference and just a game and a half ahead of the Liberty. This was different. And really, that's what made the franchise-record ninth straight win all the sweeter.
The Liberty (20-11) rode a 23-14 third quarter, aided by a team-high 19 points by Leilani Mitchell, to snap the Fever's three-game win streak, 78-57, last night at the Garden.
"It was a huge opportunity for us," coach Anne Donovan said. "Playing a great team like Indiana . . . this group just gets it. There's no sense of panic . . . We were written off by a lot of people, but this group never lost confidence. It's very fulfilling."
Going into last night, the Liberty had lost two of three to the Fever this season. The Liberty trailed 21-18 going into the second quarter, but Mitchell and Janel McCarville's back-to-back short jumpers gave the Liberty a 24-21 lead, its first of the game. The Fever tied the game at 26, but Plenette Pierson's layup with 4:44 left gave the Liberty the permanent advantage. It outscored the Fever 12-6 in the frame to the tune of a 30-27 halftime lead.
The Liberty took off on a 12-3, 4:09-minute run to kick off the third quarter. Essence Carson's 11-foot jumper with 1:26 left in the quarter gave the Liberty a 53-39 lead. The Liberty showed that it's more than just Cappie Pondexter (13 points), with three other players scoring in double digits.
It was certainly a different look from the first quarter, in which the Fever was able to suffocate the Liberty exactly where it has thrived: behind the arc. The team shot only 28.6 percent from three-point range. The Fever double-teamed Pondexter, who is entertaining heavy MVP consideration, and was only able to rack up four points in the quarter.
"We're playing for home-field advantage," Mitchell said. "We're playing for first place. There was a time when we were too locked into Cappie [Pondexter] . . . But she needs us as much as we need her."
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