Mystics stumble again, fall to previously winless Liberty
The Liberty managed to put all that aside and rally for a 74-66 victory over the Mystics in Bradenton, Fla. Washington Coach Mike Thibault, meanwhile, was not putting anything about the loss aside.
“Probably, in many ways, that was one of the most embarrassing losses, if not the most embarrassing loss since I’ve been in D.C.,” said Thibault, whose team dropped its third straight to fall to 3-3. “It’s not the same team that showed up and played in the first couple games that we were here. Teams are scouting us, they’re doing things, but that doesn’t represent who we are as a Mystics organization. That was embarrassing.”
The first half was easily the worst 20 minutes of basketball the Mystics have played this season. The Liberty (1-5) took a 40-31 lead into halftime — the offensive output marking a season low in a half for Washington.
There was no flow on offense outside of the individual efforts of Myisha Hines-Allen and Emma Meesseman. Hines-Allen carried the load in the first quarter with six points, including a layup to take a 10-9 lead. That would prove to be the last time the Mystics led. Meesseman scored four straight baskets down the stretch of the second quarter to keep things from getting uglier after the Liberty pushed the lead to 11.
Liberty forward Amanda Zahui B posted season highs in points (14) and rebounds (14), while Kia Nurse added 17 points and Layshia Clarendon chipped in 14.
Aerial Powers scored a team-high 20 points, including 15 in the second half, and Meesseman had her second consecutive strong offensive game with 17 points. Hines-Allen finished with 12.
“We have to find our identity,” Powers said. “Played good the first few games, but it’s like we’re losing sight of who we are. The ball’s not moving like it normally is, and defensively we’re just missing assignments. So it is the most embarrassing game, probably, we ever [played]. We should have beat them.
“After three losses, when do you start getting mad and showing other teams who the hell we are?”
Washington had nine turnovers in the first half alone, including five in the first quarter. The Mystics seemed to lack energy from the opening tip and repeatedly failed to take advantage of easy opportunities. Two-on-one breaks in transition were missed, and Leilani Mitchell missed a wide-open layup at the halftime buzzer.
Things weren’t any better on the defensive end as the Liberty, which entered the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the league, scored its first four baskets from behind the arc. New York hit seven threes in the first half, shooting at a 43.8 percent clip. A 12-2 second-quarter run highlighted by a Zahui B three-pointer pushed the lead to 12.
The Mystics finally found some energy in the third quarter and got to the basket on a few occasions during a 12-3 stretch that included a heavy dose of Powers. But Zahui B beat the buzzer with a layup to put New York up 57-50 at the end of the third quarter. Washington never got closer in the fourth.
Thibault said he was frustrated by just about everything and noted the entire team settled for contested jump shots instead of driving to the basket.
“Lack of urgency,” Thibault said. “I thought tonight our basketball IQ was really bad from start to finish. And I usually don’t say that about this team. But right now, that was a real problem.
“I”m not prepared to talk about what we’re going to do next.”
The schedule, at least, offers an indication — the Mystics play Indiana on Sunday. Washington opened the season with a 101-76 win over the Fever.
Note: Powers went down in a heap at the 2:01 mark of the second quarter when she landed awkwardly on her left leg. Trainers tended to her on the court, and she slowly walked to the locker room under her own power. She came back after halftime and finished with 30 minutes of playing time.
