WNBA Mystics at Liberty

When: Tonight, 7:30

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York

Records: Mystics 8-12, Liberty 11-9

TV: Comcast SportsNet

They Meet Again: For the past two seasons, the fight for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference has come down to Washington and New York. In 2006, it was the Mystics. In 2007, it was the Liberty that snagged the No. 4 spot in the standings because of its edge in the season series. "New York games mean a lot," Mystics Coach Tree Rollins said. "Last year when we lost at home [to New York], that was the determining game in my head. We were still in it, but that was the game that knocked us out of the playoffs." Beginning tonight, the Mystics play four games in the next six days, concluding next Wednesday with their third and final game against New York in the regular season. The Liberty won the first game between the two teams this year, 79-60, on May 22. Washington sits in fifth place, two games behind the Indiana Fever (10-10), looking for a way to make up ground through the six games before the WNBA's month-long Olympic break. "Minimum I want to be at [by the break] is a half game out of that fourth spot. Whatever that is, is where we want to be," Rollins said. "We don't even want to be a full game out. We just want to stay tight."

Mighty New York: Winners of three of its past four games -- including victories over Detroit and Connecticut, the Eastern Conference's first- and second-place teams, respectively -- New York is tearing through its July schedule and is a vastly different club than the struggling Sun team that Washington defeated this past week. Forward Shameka Christon is averaging 22.3 points through the Liberty's six games this month and has shown in her fifth professional season that she's finally able to team with New York center Janel McCarville (12.5 ppg) and forward Cathrine Kraayeveld (10.2 ppg) to create one of the East's most intimidating front-court trios.

-- Katie Carrera