NEW YORK (AP) The Minnesota Lynx look like a team scratching for a playoff berth. Actually, they're just having fun playing spoiler.

Tamika Williams had 13 points and seven rebounds and the Lynx kept the New York Liberty from clinching a spot in the WNBA playoffs with a 52-49 victory Tuesday night.

"Our goal right now is definitely to make it hard for teams to get to the playoffs," Lynx rookie Tamara Moore said. "That's kind of fun."

Katie Smith had 10 points and Moore added nine, including two free throws with nine seconds left, as the Lynx (11-19) won their third straight game and second against a team looking to gain ground on a postseason berth. On Sunday, the Lynx beat Seattle, which is battling Portland for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Tari Phillips scored 17 points and Tamika Whitmore had 12 for the Liberty (17-12), who needed either a win or an Indiana loss to clinch the playoff berth. They got neither, and didn't much look like a team that had won three straight and nine of 11.

Indiana beat Washington 64-55 Tuesday night.

Phillips scored 10 points in 10 minutes as New York overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to take a 32-31 lead.

But Moore hit four consecutive free throws and Georgia Schweitzer added two to put the Lynx back up for good.

"In the last two or three weeks, this team has found a personality or comfort level or flow," Smith said. "This is definitely different from years past."

Down 39-36, the Liberty then went 3:15 without scoring. For the game, New York shot 36 percent, but had two scoreless stretches - including the final 10:04 of the first half - that allowed the Lynx confidence.

"It's very hard to lose a game when you hold people to 31.9 percent shooting," New York coach Ritchie Adubato said of Minnesota's poor shooting. "This was a very tough loss."

Harrower had two free throws, Moore found Schweitzer for a nifty layup and Michelle Gorp added two free throws to put the Lynx up 45-36.

Whitmore scored six points down the stretch to bring New York within 49-46 with 47 seconds to go, and Smith's airball gave the Liberty a chance to tie.

Crystal Robinson missed a layup, though, and Moore grabbed the rebound and was fouled, setting up her free throws with nine seconds left.

Robinson came back with a 3-pointer that put New York within 51-49, but again the Liberty couldn't score.

"Sure, they are going to the playoffs no matter what, and that's a great accomplishment, but we come to play every game," Minnesota interim coach Heidi VanDeveer said. "We are on a little roll and they are on a good roll, and something had to give. That something was them."

Whitmore for one wasn't thrilled at the notion that Minnesota came in looking to spoil the Liberty's playoff party.

"They don't have any face to save," Whitmore said. "Their season is over."

Notes: Minnesota is 4-6 since VanDeveer took over as coach on July 16. ... Minnesota forward Lynn Pride did not dress for the game because of a sprained left ankle. ... The Liberty shot 55 percent in the opening 9:56 of the game, but didn't hit another shot and finished the first half shooting 27 percent.

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