WASHINGTON, D.C. – MAY 10: Marine Johannes #23 of the New York Liberty drives to the basket during the game against the Washington Mystics on May 10, 2026 at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Fortunately, at least one Brooklyn basketball team we know came out on top against Washington today.
Following their excellent home win against the Connecticut Sun to kick off the WNBA season, the New York Liberty hit the road to begin a three game road trip. Their first outing was against a game Washington Mystics team that has a pretty bright future. In a game that lasted 2 hours and 41 minutes (more on that below), one of New York’s most experienced players.
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With Sabrina Ionescu out of action due to a knee injury, Chris DeMarco is relying more on Marine Johannes. Johannes has had success in various roles over the years in the USA and France and is someone the coaching staff wants more out of in 2026. Two games in to the season, MJ has done well in Ionescu’s absence.
Johannes led all players in scoring with 25 points as she did her damage early and often. The Liberty have spoken about getting to the rim more often this year and MJ was able to use that downhill juice to get great looks from three point range.
Johannes tied her career high in three pointers made with six and her final one was the biggest shot of the game
We’re jumping a wee bit ahead, so let’s jump back a bit!
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Without Satou Sabally in the lineup, New York is a bit undersized and they paid for it on the boards. Washington won the rebounding battle 42-34 and most critically, collected 19 offensive rebounds. The frontcourt duo of Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, and rookie Lauren Betts were able to find success on the inside and crash the boards.
The Mystics built an eight point lead after one quarter, but the Liberty started to find their rhythm and turned the game around. In addition to Johannes, starting guard and fellow French player Pauline Astier put forth another great effort as she was able to get downhill and had a great all around game of 18/5/7/2. New York was able to build a lead as large as 12 points, but they went cold from three as Washington gradually chipped away at the lead.
The game was tied late before Stewart and Iriafen traded clutch buckets under hectic circumstances to force the game into overtime. As former Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello famously said in 2024:
“Whoever scores in overtime first usually wins.“
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In overtime, Stewart opened the scoring after getting a post mismatch following really solid pick and roll action with Astier
Even with the early lead, it was a hard task for New York to win. With Jonquel Jones and Han Xu fouling out, Stewart moved up to center and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returned to finish the game out. Laney-Hamilton didn’t have a field goal attempt in the game, but contributed
“She’s great out there,” DeMarco said. She played tough, we needed her toughness tonight.”
Combine Laney-Hamilton’s grit, a star performance from Johannes, another great all-around game from Stewart, and solid contributions up and down the roster along with four missed Mystics free throws in OT, and what do you get? An incredibly hard fought road win!
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Final score: New York Liberty 98, Washington Mystics 93
Even with the game going into overtime, the flow of this game was incredibly choppy. The teams combined for 58 fouls and saw three players foul out. It was hard to get into a flow watching at home, and even harder for the players out there on the court.
Officiating in basketball is incredibly challenging, and WNBA referees have had a hard go of it to begin the season. Players and fans across the league have been critical of the calls that are made and missed calls in critical moments. As the season progresses, we’ll see if things are a bit smoother and games don’t turn into overly long slogs. If it doesn’t, things will only get more challenging going forward.
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Next up
Off to Portland! The Liberty will play two in Portland as they take on the expansion Portland Fire. Tip off after 10:00 p.m. ET on May 12.
