Mystics Beat Liberty to End Seven-Game Losing Skid

Chamique Holdsclaw scored 22 points and Coco Miller added 16 as the Washington Mystics beat the New York Liberty, 65-54, on Thursday night at New York to end a seven-game losing streak.

“They started our losing streak, and we ended it here,” said Holdsclaw, who missed the July loss to New York that started the streak because of a sprained ankle. “This is how we wanted it. Everything is a test. We’ve been tested, and we persevered.”

The Mystics (16-13) moved a game behind the first-place Liberty (17-12) in the Eastern Conference, and both teams clinched playoff spots.

Sacramento 82, Orlando 72--Kedra Holland-Corn scored 20 points and Yolanda Griffith added 18 points for the Monarchs at Orlando, Fla.

Wendy Palmer led Orlando with 17 points as the Miracle dropped a half-game behind Indiana with two games left in the race for the fourth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Fourth-place Indiana holds the tiebreaker over the Miracle.

Sacramento, which won for the ninth time in 11 games to improve to 12-17, is out of the Western Conference playoff race.