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Sun-Liberty Preview

Aug 21, 2010 - 7:47 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Connecticut (17-16) at New York (21-12), 4:00 p.m. EDT

The New York Liberty appeared to be headed for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in eight years. They may have to settle for second.

New York will try to rebound from its first loss in nearly a month Sunday when it concludes the regular season against the Connecticut Sun at Madison Square Garden.

The Liberty (21-12) were on the inside track to finishing the regular season atop the East, but saw their franchise-record 10-game winning streak halted with a dramatic 75-74 loss at Washington on Friday. The game featured three lead changes in the final 22.3 seconds before the Mystics' Lindsey Harding made the clinching layup with 8.8 to play.

New York is in a three-way tie for first with Washington and defending conference champion Indiana.

The Liberty can still claim the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2002 by beating the Sun (17-16) while Washington loses at Atlanta. New York holds the tiebreaker on the Fever, who host Minnesota. However, if New York, Washington and Indiana all win Sunday, then the Mystics will finish atop the East on tiebreakers.

"We're not done with what we came to do this season," said Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter, second in the WNBA with 21.2 points per game. "We have a goal and we are going to keep trying to reach it."

The Liberty are 3-1 this season against Connecticut (17-16), winning twice at MSG. They took the most recent matchup there, 71-67 on Aug. 1 behind 24 points from Pondexter.

Connecticut has been eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year, but will be trying to close out the season with a season high-tying third straight win.

The Sun ended a four-game road losing streak Friday by beating Chicago 78-71 as guard Renee Montgomery scored 20 points. She tallied 22 in Connecticut's home finale, a 90-62 win over league-worst Tulsa on Tuesday.

"I don't care if the game isn't going to get us to the playoffs, the game isn't going to do anything, but it's still about to pride," Montgomery said Friday. "We are out there, people are coming to see you play and you need to perform."

Montgomery is second on the team with an average of 13.2 points and first with 4.1 assists. However, she's averaging 21.2 points and 5.0 assists over the last five road games.