The Guru’s WNBA Roundup: Jackson’s Buzzer-Beater Carries Los Angeles Over New York While Washington Beats Seattle to Squeeze Into Seventh

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

The movement like bumper cars in the lower half of the WNBA playoff race got tighter in the league’s two contests Saturday night while the race for top seed got further apart when Rickea Jackson scored a winner at the buzzer 101-99 in favor of 10th place Los Angeles (11-14) in a road triumph at defending champion New York (17-7) before a crowd of 16,024 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile down in the nation’s capital Washington survived a fourth quarter scoring drought to upset Seattle 69-58 as the Mystics (12-12) got to .500 and jumped into 7th place a half-game in front of the idle combo of Las Vegas (12-13) and expansion Golden State (11-12) statistically tied in the last playoff spot and just a half-game behind idle Indiana (13-12).

The Sparks’ triumph extended the current win streak to five games as they moved within a game of the 7th place tie while second-place New York snapped a five-game win streak of its own and fell four behind idle Minnesota (22-4).

The Seattle loss dropped the Storm (15-11) in a statistical tie for fourth with idle Atlanta (14-10) but behind the Dream and just a game behind Phoenix (15-9), which was also idle.

The Liberty, playing the second of a back-to-back after rallying over Phoenix at home Friday night, had just gotten to better health with the return of Finals MVP Jonquel Jones this week when they returned to new problems 3 minutes into the L.A. game when All-Star Breanna Stewart, who had three points and a rebound, left for the locker room with a lower leg injury.

It was yet another game when New York, down 15 in the third quarter, had to play catch-up.

The Liberty trailed 74-69 after the third but got back on the play of All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, who finished with 30 points, and Saint Joseph’s graduate Natasha Cloud, who scored 10 of her 22 points in the final period.

Ionescu tied it at 95 with 2:18 left in regulation. The teams then traded baskets and then Azura Stevens put the Sparks up 99-97 on a layup with 1:03 left.

Ionescu tied it for the Liberty at 99 at the 23.1 mark.

L.A. then dribbled off time before recent signee Stephanie Talbot fouled Kelsey Plum with 5.9 left, though it was not a shooting foul.

Following a Sparks timeout Jackson, who scored 24 points, powered past Talbot and flipped the winning shot as time expired.

“We drew a play up, and we just executed to the tee,” Jackson said. “I just feel like we deserved it. I didn't personally want to go to overtime. I'm willing to do whatever it takes, so that's all I was thinking about, just trying to win for my team.”

In the third quarter Ionescu had a three-point shot nullified by an official saying Jones committed an illegal screen. She argued the ruling, telling the ref to give her a technical foul, which the referee complied.

Four of the Sparks starters scored in double figures with Plum scoring 20, including 3-6 on 3-point attempts of which Jackson was one better on the same attempts from outside.

Stevens and Dearica Hamby each scored 17 as parts of double doubles with the former grabbing 11 boards and the latter 10. Rae Burrell scored 12 off the bench.

The Sparks under first-year coach Lynne Roberts have set a franchise record with five straight games scoring 90+.

They also topped the Liberty 54-44 in the paint.

“We knew they were going to go on a run,” said Roberts of the Liberty rally. “They're defending champs, and they have star power.

“But part of learning to win is learning to just stay steady, and not get too high or too low or panic, right? We didn't.

  “New York was coming at us, and I thought Natasha Cloud put a lot of pressure on the defense for us. She's tough. She just gets going downhill and then, obviously, Sabrina is always dangerous and every time she shoots it, you kind of hold your breath,” Roberts continued.

“But, again, I'm just proud of these guys resilience, and they're buying in, and they're figuring it, and I have so much trust in them.”

Both teams are due to get help soon with second-year pro Cameron Brink, who missed almost all of last season injured, expected back this week while New York recently signed Belgian Emma Meesseman, who’s played in the league, who is dealing with paperwork as a foreigner.

Behind Ionescu and Cloud, Jones scored 14 with eight boards while Leonie Fiebich scored 10.

New York is at Dallas Monday at 8 p.m. on ESPN before heading to Minnesota Wednesday, the first meeting with the Lynx since edging them at the finish in overtime at the end of the decisive Game 5 of the finals.

The Sparks host Las Vegas Tuesday at 10 p.m. on NBA TV.

Held to Nine in 4th Quarter Washington Still Tops Seattle by Double Digits

On the front end of a back-to-back which continues at home Sunday, Shakira Austin scored 14 points with 11 boards while Sug Sutton scored 13 as the Mystics continue to be one of the surprises of the season as they showed again in their game played at CareFirst Arena before a crowd of 4,200 fans.

“We just talked about chipping away,” Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said of the defense in the final period. “I thought (rookie Dominique Malonga) gave us some great minutes, running the floor and rebounding well.

“Erica (Wheeler) was the offense we needed with that group. I thought they fought hard to hold the Mystics to a nine-point quarter, and that was indicative of the defense picking up a little bit and getting stops. There was good energy. For them to fight that hard like they did, it was a great effort.”

Seattle also had second-half scoring difficulties being shut out the opening five minutes of the third period and were down 60-45 heading to the fourth.

The Storm’s 11-0 run in the last period got them close at 60-56 with four minutes left in regulation.

Rookie Kiki Iriafen, one of three first-year players appearing in last week’s All-Star game in Indiana with teammate Sophie Citron and Dallas No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, then added three points for the Mystics, then Brittney Sykes scored twice on driving layups to seal the outcome.

Sykes and Citron each scored 11 while Citron also grabbed 10 boards and Iriafen grabbed 11.

Rookie Lucy Olsen out of Villanova and Iowa played 13 minutes and went 1-3 from the field.

It’s the first time in Mystics history three players reached double digits in rebounds.

“They were just cleaning the glass,” said Washington first-year coach Sydney Johnson. “We really did close out possessions. Their want to make sure that second chances weren’t going to hurt us was obviously pivotal.”

Nneka Ogwumike scored 18 for Seattle while Rutgers alum Erica Wheeler scored 12.

Washington on a five-game WNBA card Sunday hosts Phoenix at 6 p.m. while Seattle plays in Monday’s other game visiting at Connecticut at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.

Minnesota can stretch its lead further Sunday in hosting Atlanta at 7 p.m. on NBA TV.

Las Vegas visits Dallas at 4 p.m. on ESPN3, Golden State is at Connecticut at 1 p.m. while Indiana is at Chicago at 3 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+, the second time moving from Wintrust Arena to the United Center, the home of the NBA Bulls.

Like the first time earlier this season, Indiana’s Caitlyn Clark is listed out, but this time with her second groin injury, while Chicago’s Angel Reese is listed as questionable with back issues.

Also listed out are Courtney Vandersloot (knee), Ariel Atkins (leg), and Moriah Jefferson (leg), while also questionable for the Sky are Michaela Onyenwere (knee) and rookie Hailey Van Lith (ankle).