New York Liberty Maintain Unbeaten Record With Win Against Washington Mystics

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Breanna Stewart's impressive performance, with 26 points and 11 rebounds, helped the New York Liberty secure an 86-78 win over the Washington Mystics. Sabrina Ionescu contributed 13 points and seven assists. This victory marked New York's best start in franchise history at 8-0, surpassing their 1997 record. The Liberty now share the top spot in the league standings with the Minnesota Lynx.

Kennedy Burke played a crucial role by hitting a 3-pointer just before the third quarter ended, giving New York a significant lead of 73-57. However, Washington fought back, scoring 14 of the first 18 points in the fourth quarter to narrow the gap to 77-71. Despite this, Isabelle Harrison's pivotal steal and three-point play extended New York's lead to 81-71.

Washington continued to challenge New York, reducing their lead to just four points at 81-77 after a quick six-point run. Stewart then made three out of four free throws, while Ionescu added two more to maintain their advantage. Burke finished with 12 points for New York, who recently achieved their largest victory margin in franchise history with a previous road win.

Kiki Iriafen, named WNBA rookie of the month for May, scored 17 points for Washington. Jade Melbourne also contributed with 15 points as Washington fell to a record of 3-6.

In another thrilling match, Lexi Held led Phoenix Mercury with a season-high of 24 points as they defeated Golden State Valkyries 86-77. Phoenix was trailing by eight points with just over four minutes left but managed an impressive comeback. Held's deep three-pointer put them ahead at 77-76 with just over a minute remaining.

Satou Sabally added to Phoenix's momentum by converting her own missed shot into a three-point play, giving them an edge at 80-77. Veronica Burton missed a crucial layup for Golden State, allowing Sabally to extend Phoenix’s lead further by making two free throws.

Golden State struggled in the final moments with turnovers on consecutive inbound plays. Phoenix capitalised on these errors by making four straight free throws to secure their victory.

Phoenix now boasts a strong home record of five wins from six games this season. Burton led Golden State with her performance at the free-throw line and scored a total of 16 points. Temi Fagbenle also contributed significantly for Golden State with her double-double performance.

The recent matches have highlighted both teams' resilience and ability to perform under pressure. As the season progresses, both teams will aim to build on these performances and improve their standings further in the league.