Jonquel Jones scored 29 points, and the New York Liberty defeated the winless Washington Mystics 93-88 on Sunday to secure home court in the Commissioner's Cup championship game.
The Liberty, who won the Commissioner's Cup last season, will host the championship game on June 25. New York, which has won seven consecutive games, will face the conference's Western Conference's best squad. Melbourne led Washington with a career-high 21 points.
The New York Liberty completed a grueling stretch of five games in eight days, including back-to-back victories on Saturday and Sunday. The Liberty led by two entering the fourth quarter before Jones' putback made it 86-79 with 4:03 left. Washington scored the only basket in the next 2:30 minutes before Sabrina Ionescu nailed a 10-foot jumper from the wing to make it 88-81 with 1:30 left.
The Washington Mystics scored the next five baskets, cutting the deficit to 88-86 with 24 seconds remaining. Ionescu made the second of two free throws to bring the game within three points. The Liberty led by two entering the fourth quarter before Jones' putback made it 86-79 with 4:03 left. Washington scored the only basket in the next 2:30 minutes before Sabrina Ionescu nailed a 10-foot jumper from the wing to make it 88-81 with 1:30 left.
Washington Mystics has lost twelve games
The Washington Mystics scored the next five baskets, cutting the deficit to 88-86 with 24 seconds remaining. Ionescu made the second of two free throws to bring the game within three points. Nine out of Washington's twelve games have been lost by a single digit. It was an interesting first half, with the two teams level at 45 at the half-time. Jones had a big block early in the quarter, which resulted in a foul on the opposite end.
The Mystics are currently lagging behind Atlanta's franchise-high 17-game losing run that started the 2008 campaign. Stars Shakira Austin (hip) and Brittney Sykes (ankle) have not been playing for the Mystics.