The New York Liberty vs. the Washington Mystics is no ordinary 2-7 first-round playoff matchup. The Liberty admitted as much prior to Game One on Friday night, with Courtney Vandersloot saying “Washington is a really good team that’s struggled with injuries, and that’s really the only reason they’re a seven seed.”
Head Coach Sandy Brondello had the same opinion, saying of the Liberty’s opponent, “They’re not a seven-seed, we all know that.”
Any fan who may have dismissed these warnings as surface-level respect for an inferior opponent was roundly corrected after the first quarter on Friday night, which Washington won 29-23.