No upsets yet in the WNBA playoffs. All home teams and higher seeds prevailed in Game 1s.
While the No. 2 seed New York Liberty and No. 4 seed Dallas Wings were pushed by the No. 7 seed Washington Mystics and No. 5 seed Atlanta Dream, respectively, both the Liberty and Wings had second-quarter rallies that changed the momentum of the games.
Liberty get the last laugh
Washington held their own during most of the first half, but New York was inevitable on Friday night, winning 90-75 to take Game 1 of their first-round matchup.
Sabrina Ionescu was the best version of herself, scoring 20 points in the second half alone and ending the night with 29. Her seven 3-pointers are now the new Liberty record for made 3s in a playoff game.
It wasn’t just Ionescu out there; all key Liberty players stepped up. Betnijah Laney had 19 points and eight rebounds and Jonquel Jones had a double-double. Breanna Stewart had a quiet game, but still gave New York 10 points and eight boards.
Washington was in the driver’s seat for most of the first half, but a 10-5 run to close the second quarter gave New York a four-point lead at the break; they never looked back. The loss is incredibly disheartening because so many Mystics had good performances. Myisha Hines-Allen balled out with 21…
