NEWARK, N.J. -- Kennewick High grad Leilain Mitchell scored a team-high 16 points in the New York Liberty's 74-64 home loss to the Atlanta Dream in WNBA play Sunday.
Angel McCoughtry scored 23 points to lead the Dream (5-7).
New York (4-9), which lost for the fourth time in five games, had 26 turnovers, which led to 31 points for Atlanta.
"Those are lost opportunities," Mitchell said of the Liberty's turnovers. "At least when we're getting shots there's a chance we're going to get it in. We have to take better care of the ball and they're capitalizing on those turnovers. ... They got 31 points off those turnovers. It's just too much."
Mitchell's fifth 3 of the game gave New York a 40-38 lead at the break.
"My teammates found me open," Mitchell said. "We were attacking and the defense was collapsing and left me open.
"When we were down before halftime, it was out goal to get back up before halftime," she added. "Unfortunately, we came out flat in the second half. It really took us a long time to get out of it. The fourth quarter is when we played with more energy.
Liberty standout Cappie Pondexter fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter as the Liberty were trying to make a surge. She finished 4 for 17 from the field with seven turnovers.
New York was without forward Plenette Pierson, second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (4.9), for a third straight game because of a strained calf. She could miss four to six weeks, and Whisenant doesn't expect her to return before the monthlong Olympic break -- which begins July 14.
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