Shenise Johnson’s jumper in final minute of OT lifts Silver Stars

NEWARK, N.J. — The San Antonio Silver Stars recovered after giving up a big early lead and outlasted the New York Liberty to get a needed win.

Shenise Johnson’s jumper with 36.1 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Silver Stars to 78-77 victory over the Liberty on Sunday. Danielle Robinson scored 18 points, Danielle Adams had 16, and DeLisha Milton-Jones added 15 as San Antonio ended a four-game skid.

The Silver Stars (3-5) jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter before the Liberty slowly climbed back and tied it late in the second. San Antonio then pulled ahead by eight in the fourth quarter, only to have New York rally again and take the lead before the Silver Stars tied it in the final minute of regulation.

The Liberty also took the lead three times over the first 3 minutes of the extra period.

“Definitely proud of our effort, proud of the way we fought,” Robinson said. “We obviously let go of the (early) lead but the way we closed the game in regulation and in overtime ... we needed it and we buckled down and got it.

“I’m really proud of how we finished up.”

Cappie Pondexter had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Plenette Pierson scored 18 points for New York (4-3), which lost at home for the first time this season after opening with four wins. Pondexter also had seven of the Liberty’s 21 turnovers.

The Liberty had three chances after Johnson’s go-ahead basket, but Katie Smith missed two 3s, including one blocked by Jia Perkins with 1.9 seconds left.
“There were a lot of frantic possessions, but that last one,” Smith said, “(we) had some good looks, they missed, we come down, we get a look, I get a good look at one. Plenette gets a great rebound, (we’re) tossing the ball around, blocked shot, game over.”

New York also had a chance to win in regulation, but Pondexter’s jumper at the buzzer fell short.

Smith’s 3 had given the Liberty a 77-74 lead with 2:05 left in overtime, but they didn’t score again. After Robinson’s basket pulled the Silver Stars within one 10 seconds later, officials reviewed Smith’s jumper and confirmed it as a 3.

Pondexter and Kelsey Bone turned the ball over on New York’s next two possessions before Johnson’s winning basket.

“We love that we fight, we compete, we don’t give up, we battle,” Smith said. “But then we also realize if we just took care of the basketball a few more times, we didn’t give up that offensive rebound, we hit that shot, we’d walk out here with a win.

“A couple of things here throughout the game and things could be different.”

Johnson had a layup, and Robinson made a jumper to give the Silver Stars a 55-50 lead with 8:05 to go in regulation. Pondexter, however, made a layup and hit a 3 to tie the score less than 40 seconds later.

San Antonio scored the next eight points and led 63-55 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. New York rallied again as Leilani Mitchell hit a bank shot, and Kara Braxton made two layups to pull the Liberty within two with 3:41 left. Pierson’s three-point play 45 seconds later gave them their first lead since the game’s opening minute.


(washingtonpost.com)