The New York Liberty clinched a place in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship game with an 86-64 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, according to ESPN's WNBA game summary and recap.
ESPN described it as New York's seventh straight victory. The result gave the Liberty a confirmed in-season final after a 22-point home win over a Washington team that never got enough scoring to keep the game tight.
Stewart And Jones Lead Liberty Past Mystics
Breanna Stewart finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks, giving New York interior control without needing a high-volume scoring night from its biggest name.
Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 20 points, while the box score listed Michaela Onyenwere as Washington's top scorer with 17. ESPN's event summary marked the game final and listed an attendance of 17,581 at Barclays Center.
The cleanest part of New York's win was its balance. Stewart's defense and rebounding gave the Liberty a floor, Jones supplied the scoring lead, and the margin allowed the final few minutes to feel more administrative than frantic.
Commissioner's Cup Berth Adds Stakes To Liberty Run
The Commissioner's Cup berth matters because it gives the Liberty a trophy game in the middle of the WNBA season, not just another mark in the standings. New York has now paired a seven-game winning streak with a concrete competition reward.
For the Mystics, the loss was not short on an identifiable scorer, but Onyenwere's 17 points were not enough against a Liberty frontcourt that controlled the game's headline numbers. Washington left Brooklyn with the scoreline and the cup race both moving against it.
New York's next task is preparing for the championship-game setting ESPN says it has now reached. The Liberty did not need a dramatic finish to get there; they built the berth through a one-sided home result and a defensive performance that showed up plainly in Stewart's block total.