New York ? Teresa Weatherspoon jumped on the press table and danced amid the falling confetti. Vickie Johnson just smiled after donning her orange Eastern Conference championship hat.

Johnson scored 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting as the New York Liberty defeated the Washington Mystics 64-57 to advance to their fourth WNBA Finals in the league’s six-year history.

New York's Vickie Johnson defends Washington's Chamique Holdsclaw. The Liberty beat the Mystics, 64-57, to win the best-of-three series, 2-1, on Sunday in New York.

New York will face the defending champion Los Angeles Sparks in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals on Thursday at the Garden. The Sparks swept the Utah Starzz in the Western Conference finals on Saturday.

“It’s a great feeling to win the Eastern Conference championship, but it’s not over,” Johnson said. “We have to go to Los Angeles with a winning attitude to win a championship and not just settle for being there.”

The Liberty have won three conference titles in four years, and the playoff experience showed in the decisive Game 3 against the Mystics.

With the Liberty ahead 58-54, the Mystics’ Annie Burgess made one of two free throws, but Johnson’s baseline jumper extended the lead to 60-55 with 55 seconds left. After Chamique Holdsclaw missed a 3-pointer, Tari Phillips hit two free throws and Weatherspoon made a layup to seal the win.

Holdsclaw, who led the league in scoring and rebounding, had 15 of her 19 points in the second half.

“It’s sad, but I’ve learned everything happens for a reason,” said Holdsclaw, who had eight rebounds. “We’re going to grow and get better. What I love about this group is we’re young and hungry.”

Tamika Whitmore scored 13 points for the Liberty, and Phillips had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Weatherspoon added 11 points and six assists.

“Vickie stays on me (about scoring),” Weatherspoon said. “Not too many people know how to motivate me, but she stays on me to shoot. And that is going to open up things for everybody else.”

The Liberty cooled off to 43 percent from the field after shooting a WNBA playoff-record 66 percent in the 96-79 win in Game 2. New York had a huge advantage at the free throw line, making 22 of 26. The Mystics made 4 of 7.

“We’re really disappointed with the outcome,” Mystics coach Marianne Stanley said. “Our team came in totally believing we could win this game. Look out Eastern Conference, we’re coming back with a vengeance.”

Trailing by 11 at halftime, Washington went on a 9-0 run to trail 38-36 behind Holdsclaw’s seven points. Whitmore scored underneath and Johnson’s 3-pointer gave New York a 43-36 cushion.

“I’m amazed by the heart and determination we have when we get our backs against the wall,” New York coach Richie Adubato said. “Their hearts just really blow up.”

The Mystics got off to a slow start, scoring their first basket at the 16:45 mark and their second, a 3-pointer by Jones, almost four minutes later.

New York closed the half with a 14-4 run to lead 38-27 at halftime. Whitmore scored eight of her 10 first-half points in the run. Holdsclaw, who was called for a technical foul for elbowing Sue Wicks, had just four first-half points on 2-for-8 shooting.

The Mystics had 11 turnovers at intermission, resulting in 22 Liberty points.

Washington won Game 1 at the MCI Center, but New York finished out the series with back-to-back home wins.