When you've rallied as mightily as the Charlotte Sting, what's a 1-0 deficit in a best-of-3 series?
Tough, yes, but a team that started 1-10 and reached the conference finals knows about regrouping. Charlotte needs a win in Game 2 of the WNBA Eastern Conference finals at noon MDT Sunday in Madison Square Garden, or its season is finished.
Charlotte seemed to have Game 1 under control Friday and led 57-48 with three minutes left.
New York rallied to score the final 13 points, and Charlotte faces elimination.
"We know if we were focused for the last three minutes, the game would have turned out differently," Sting coach Anne Donovan said.
If the Sting wins today, it would force Game 3 at 8 p.m. Monday, also in New York.
Charlotte won its first-round playoff series with a Game 3 win in Cleveland, after an ugly 18-point loss in Game 2.
"There's a certain mystique about the Garden, and they play so well there," point guard Dawn Staley said. "They get fueled by the crowd. I think it's a great atmosphere to play home games in, and they've been pretty effective at home."
Charlotte was 1-10 in late June and last among 16 WNBA teams. It went 17-4 the rest of the regular season and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Staley led Charlotte with 14 points in Game 1 and had five assists. Center Tammy Sutton-Brown and Andrea Stinson each scored 12 points.
The Sting was hampered by 20 turnovers, including four on consecutive possessions in the disastrous final three minutes.
"We didn't take care of business at home," Staley said. "But I think we're going to have to be that much stronger in New York."
The Sting had a 35-26 rebounding advantage in Game 1. That was offset by missing its final six shots.
Charlotte's troubles began when New York applied full-court pressure. The Sting consistently pounded the ball inside to Sutton-Brown (6-of-8 shooting) and Clarisse Machanguana (3-of-6).
New York has been in the WNBA finals three times in four seasons and lost each to the Houston Comets.