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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Comets Roll Along As Liberty Falters New York Loses First Place As Confidence Ebbs Away

Tarik El-Bashir New York Times

A recent stumble by the Liberty - three losses in four games - has dropped them out of the lead in the Eastern Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and it has severely bruised the team’s confidence, too.

The effect of the losses was apparent in the Liberty locker room after the most recent one, Sunday’s costly 70-55 defeat by Houston at Madison Square Garden. With the victory the Comets took a half-game lead in the East.

A bleary-eyed Rebecca Lobo stared at the wall. A frustrated Teresa Weatherspoon pounded her knee. Twice the Liberty tied the score in the second half. It was a game that could have been won, the players said.

“They’re hurting,” coach Nancy Darsch said. “I don’t know what their confidence level is, but they are hurting after this loss.”

New York opened the season with seven victories, and at the halfway point it had a 12-2 record and a 3-game lead over the Comets. But the Liberty has gone 4-6 since then, and now they are looking up at the Comets.

After losing in its first three meetings with New York, Houston not only proved it can beat the Liberty, but it can beat the Liberty at Madison Square Garden, which could have meaning come playoff time.

If the season had ended after Sunday’s games, New York (16-8) and Charlotte (13-11) of the Eastern Conference would have met in one semifinal and Houston (17-8) would have played the Western Conference leaders, Phoenix (13-11), in the other.

In the WNBA playoff format, the team with the best record in the East plays the team with the best record in the West in one semifinal and the remaining two teams with the best records, regardless of conference, play in the other. That way, one conference champion is guaranteed a spot in the championship game on Aug. 30. The semifinals are on Aug. 28.

The Liberty has four games left, three of which are on the road. Houston has three, all at home. The Liberty does have the tiebreaker advantage should the teams finish tied for first.

“We’ve got our last three games at home and the way this league has gone, you’ve got to win them all,” Houston coach Van Chancellor said Sunday. “I think this win put us in better shape. I don’t know if we’re in the driver’s seat.”