Meesseman Leads Liberty Over Mystics
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Summar Lowe
The Washington Mystics made their push in the third quarter behind newcomer Alysha Clark, but missed chances at the line and a thin bench kept them from closing the gap in a 75–66 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday night at Barclays Center.
Washington grabbed the game’s first basket but quickly lost control. Two missed free throws in the opening quarter set the tone, and New York steadily built a double-digit lead. Sabrina Ionescu’s jumper in the final seconds of the half stretched the Liberty advantage to 39–25.
Forward Clark, who joined Washington in August, delivered her first big moment in a Mystics uniform. She opened the third with a three-pointer that cut into the deficit and sparked Washington’s best stretch of the night.
The Mystics’ defense tightened, Liberty’s Emma Meesseman found her rhythm inside, and rookie Kiki Iriafen provided support in the paint. Washington outscored New York 24–20 in the quarter, closing within 10 and forcing the Liberty into a timeout.
The comeback ended there. The Mystics again struggled at the free-throw line, and New York controlled the glass with a 36–29 rebounding edge. Washington’s reserves were outscored 29–14, leaving the starters little margin to work with.
Meesseman finished with a game-high 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Iriafen added 16 points and six rebounds. Clark chipped in her spark in the third, but it wasn’t enough to overcome New York’s balance and depth.
The loss drops Washington to 16–28. New York improves to 26–17 and remains unbeaten this season when closing games with their starting five.
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