Pondexter's 36 not enough as Dream ousts Liberty

ATLANTA - Anyone wondering what happens when you match the WNBA's hottest team from the second half of the season against one that was simultaneously ice cold got an electric answer in the Eastern Conference finals.

Even though Cappie Pondexter scored a career playoff-high 36 points, the Liberty couldn't shake the Angel off its shoulders in the Atlanta Dream's 105-93 win last night.

Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry scored 42 points - the most ever by a WNBA player in a postseason game - in the greatest two-player playoff shootout in league history. The Dream, which lost six of its final seven regular-season games, jolted the Liberty with a 2-0 sweep before 9,045 at Philips Arena.

After squeaking into the playoffs with a .500 record, Atlanta (19-15) eliminated the top-seeded Mystics and the Liberty (22-12) with sweeps.

The Liberty outscored Atlanta 29-18 in the third quarter to erase an 11-point halftime deficit, but McCoughtry scored 12 points in the fourth quarter (and 25 in the second half) by attacking the basket and cashing in at the free-throw line.

"She was in a great rhythm," said Pondexter, who made 14 of 27 shots and had a team-high nine rebounds. "She got to the foul line a lot, which made her outside shot easier to make. She did a great job attacking our defense; she was aggressive."

Pondexter's sterling game and a 20-point effort by Essence Carson were not enough to save a Liberty squad which had won 11 of its final 12 regular-season games and had a franchise-record 22 wins.

Atlanta outscored the Liberty just 48-46 in the paint, but benefited from a 25-12 advantage in fast-break points. The Liberty fell short by a modest 33-28 in rebounds, yet Atlanta blocked nine shots. The Liberty blocked one.

Atlanta earned a spot in the WNBA Finals for the first time, against Seattle, after taking leads of 32-21 after the first quarter and 55-44 at halftime.

Pondexter's three-pointer with 19 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Liberty its first lead at 73-71, and the teams were tied at the end of the period.

The Liberty again took a 77-76 lead on Taj Franklin-McWilliams' jumper with 9:02 left in the game.

McCoughtry countered with two free throws - she made 17 of 21 and Atlanta hit 29 of 36 in contrast to 16-for-25 for the Liberty - to give Atlanta a 78-77 lead the Dream never lost.

"Angel McCoughtry showed what a great star she is already in this league," Liberty coach Anne Donovan said. "I thought we did have enough momentum in the third quarter to carry us through and win, but the fourth quarter came and that wasn't the case."