CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Vickie Johnson scored 20 points as the Eastern Conference-leading New York Liberty clinched a playoff spot with a 71-58 win Sunday over the Charlotte Sting.

Crystal Robinson had 16 points and Tari Phillips added 15 for the Liberty (17-10), who won for the seventh time in eight games to earn a place in the WNBA playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. New York has a two-game lead over second-place Washington, which lost to Miami 55-50 on Sunday.

"We are looking for the homecourt advantage in the playoffs," Liberty coach Richie Adubato said. "We want to win the East and we have to win just about every game to do that."

Andrea Stinson had 16 points and six rebounds, while Dawn Staley scored 14 for the Sting (14-14), who lost their fifth straight game.

"This skid has got to stop," Sting coach Anne Donovan said. "We've got dig down and decide we want to win a basketball game. We did that in the first half, and in the second half it disappeared."

Charlotte led 36-31 in the first minute of the second half before the Liberty went on a 20-5 run over the next seven minutes. Johnson scored seven points in the spurt, including two free throws that put New York up 51-41 with 12:05 to play.

The Sting got no closer than eight points the rest of the way. Charlotte shot 29 percent in the second half, which included 2-for-12 from 3-point range.

The Liberty outscored the Sting 36-18 in the paint and 14-0 on fastbreak points.

"When we're not executing well, we are the first to know it," Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon said. "In the second half we came together, and it's hard to guard a team that plays together. We want home court advantage in the playoffs."

Stinson's 25-footer with 16.5 seconds remaining in the first half gave Charlotte a 34-31 lead at the intermission. The Sting trailed 14-3 early, but went 6-for-11 from 3-point range in the half to rally.

"It's frustrating to the point that you want to do more, and the more you do the worse it gets," Staley said. "Well, now we are underdogs, and I think we'll regroup. We'll get our confidence back, I'm sure of it."

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