By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Cappie Pondexter scored 30 points to lift the New York Liberty t a 77-74 win over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday and earn them a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Pondexter's performance was huge on a night when fellow starters Janel McCarville sidelined and Nicole Powell struggled from the floor.
However, Pondexter and company got a big lift from the Liberty bench.
"Kia Vaughn," Pondexter shouted into the crowd 16,000 at Madison Square Garden after the game.
Vaughn, who played limited minutes this season, came off the bench to score 13 points, grab seven rebounds and had a huge fourth-quarter block for the Liberty.
"If you don't know who she is, you will today," said Pondexter. "And we wouldn't be going to the Eastern Conference Finals without her."
Vaughn's strong presence in the lane also helped in the rough-and-tumble fight to the finish.
"I think she surprised herself in how well she played," Liberty coach Anne Donovan said. "And I know she surprised Indiana."
The Liberty moves on to face the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.
The win signifies a huge step for the Liberty, which brought in marquee players Pondexter, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nicole Powell and Plentte Pierson in the offseason to rebuild a team that didn't make the playoffs in 2009.
"It was a battle," Donovan said. "It was a great team we just beat."
