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Mystics-Liberty Preview

Sep 13, 2009 - 3:19 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Washington (15-17) at New York (12-21), 4:00 p.m. EDT

The Washington Mystics can rest a little easier knowing they're headed to the playoffs for the first time in three years.

The Mystics will try to close the regular season with a .500 record and end a four-game road skid when they visit the last-place New York Liberty on Sunday.

Washington (16-17) finished with the second-worst record in the league in 2008, going 10-24. Only expansion Atlanta was worse with a 4-30 mark.

Both teams are surprisingly headed to the playoffs after the Mystics won 82-64 over the Dream on Saturday. Washington clinched the fourth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth later that night when Chicago lost at home to Detroit.

The Mystics, who have won only one playoff series in their existence, will face top-seeded Indiana.

Lindsey Harding scored 25 points and Chasity Melvin added 12 on Saturday for the Mystics, who never trailed and led by as many as 20. Washington built an 11-point lead nearly six minutes into the game.

"We came in, we battled, it was a great team win, and we got it done," guard Alana Beard said. "We handled our business."

Washington is 2-1 against New York this year, winning 78-75 at Madison Square Garden on July 30 behind 28 points from Beard, who is averaging 19.7 points against the Liberty in 2009.

"We have to win one more game in New York," Mystics coach Julie Plank said. "We're definitely on a mission. They took one from us and we've got to take one back from them. We've got to be ready to go."

New York (12-21) will finish with the second-worst record in franchise history ahead of the 2006 club that went 11-23. The Liberty fell one game shy of reaching the WNBA finals after losing in three games to eventual champion Detroit last year in the conference finals before stumbling badly this season.

After a 6-11 start, coach Pat Coyle was fired and replaced by interim coach Anne Donovan on July 31. The Liberty have lost four straight and are 6-10 under Donovan.

New York played without injured center Janel McCarville (ankle) on Thursday and rallied from a 14-point deficit to force overtime in a 94-87 road loss to the Shock. Essence Carson scored a career-high 28 points.

"We were just looking to win a game," Donovan said. "It's been a long time since we've won a game, and at this point in the season, with us not qualifying for the playoffs, we're just looking to perform well."