It was a record-breaking night for the Liberty. They pounded the Phoenix Mercury for their eight straight victory, clinched a playoff spot and scored a franchise high for points in game.
“We’re just excited. We displayed a good deal of basketball,” said Cappie Pondexter, the Liberty’s top scorer with 28 points, after the 107-69 victory at the Garden. “If you work hard anything can happen.”
The Liberty led by as much as 35 points in the fourth quarter and held Diana Turasi, the WNBA’s leading scorer, to a season-low five points.
“We frustrated her early,” said Plenette Pierson, who scored 12 points. “We have to applaud our team for keeping her below her average.”
Nicole Powell had a career-high seven 3-pointers for the Libs and finished with 23 points. The Mercury was led by forward DeWanna Bonner, who had 20 points.
Janell McCarville, the Liberty power forward who scored 10 points, said she never has seen her team play so well in the four seasons she’s been here.
“We’ve never had a stretch like this before and we’ve never had a high like this,” she said. “I think everyone knows their role and everybody does their job.”
McCarville admitted that before last month’s WNBA All-Star Game the prospect of holding the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference didn’t look so bright. But once the team started to focus, it was clear the Eastern Conference title was a possibility.
The Liberty, who have not lost since July 25 against Atlanta, are one game behind Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings, and face the Fever on Tuesday at the Garden.
“We have to rise to the occasion,” McCarville said, “and I know we will.”