New York ? The New York Liberty remember how the Charlotte Sting wrecked their season last year.

Just in case anyone forgot that feeling, a picture of a jubilant Dawn Staley wearing an Eastern Conference champion hat hung in their locker room to remind them.

The Charlotte Sting knocked the Liberty out of the playoffs last season, but fell to New York 54-53 Sunday.

Crystal Robinson made two free throws with 11 seconds left her only points of the game to lift the Liberty to victory.

The Sting had a chance at the end but Andrea Stinson’s baseline jumper hit the side of the backboard, and Charlotte Smith’s shot, contested by Tari Phillips, came up short at the buzzer.

“A foul call at one end that was not called at the other, that was the problem,” Sting coach Anne Donovan said. “On the last play, I saw Charlotte Smith get fouled clearly. It’s a slugfest whenever we play New York.”

Vickie Johnson led the Liberty (7-3) with 15 points after she sat out Thursday’s double-overtime loss at Sacramento because of a lower back injury. Tari Phillips added 14 points and seven rebounds.

The Sting beat New York twice at Madison Square Garden last season to keep the Liberty out of the WNBA finals for the first time in three years.

Tammy Sutton-Brown had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Sting (3-5), who fell to 9-10 against the Liberty. Smith added 10 points, and Stinson finished with eight on 3-for-12 shooting.

Staley’s two free throws gave Charlotte a 53-52 lead with 34 seconds remaining. The Sting trailed by as many as eight in the second half.

“There was a playoff atmosphere,” Staley said. “We walk out of here losing a basketball game, but knowing we put ourselves in a position to win. We cannot rely on officials to make calls. That is plain and simple.”

Johnson scored the Liberty’s first six points of the second half as New York opened an eight-point lead, but the Sting pulled within 41-39 with 8:14 left.

Stinson’s three-point play gave the Sting their first lead of the second half, 47-46, four minutes later.

Teresa Weatherspoon then made a layup, but Sutton-Brown who scored six points in the final two minutes answered with a putback. Tamika Whitmore’s layup gave New York a 50-49 lead with 1:10 left.

With 57 seconds remaining, Sutton-Brown made two free throws to restore Charlotte’s lead. Weatherspoon’s spinning layup put New York back on top 52-51 with 46 seconds left.

The Sting held a 33-23 rebound advantage over New York, which missed 10 of 19 free throws.

“Holding Charlotte to 32 percent field goal percentage is a very terrific effort,” Liberty coach Richie Adubato said. “We almost cost ourselves the game on the foul line.”

Liberty 54, Sting 53

CHARLOTTE (53)

Feaster 1-7 0-0 3, Smith 3-7 3-6 10, Sutton-Brown 5-10 4-4 14, Staley 1-7 5-7 7, Stinson 3-12 2-3 8, Erb 0-1 1-2 1, Miller 4-6 0-0 8, Buescher 0-1 2-2 2, Edwards 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-52 17-24 53.

NEW YORK (54)

Robinson 0-6 2-2 2, Whitmore 4-7 2-9 10, Phillips 7-12 0-0 14, Johnson 6-13 2-2 15, Weatherspoon 3-4 1-2 7, Hammon 1-4 2-4 4, Wicks 0-3 0-0 0, Hlede 1-2 0-0 2, Cooper 0-1 0-0 0, Frohlich 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-52 9-19 54.

Charlotte 19 34 53

New York 21 33 54

3-Point GoalsCharlotte 2-8 (Feaster 1-3, Smith 1-3, Stinson 0-2), New York 1-9 (Johnson 1-3, Hammon 0-1, Wicks 0-1, Robinson 0-4). Fouled outNone. ReboundsCharlotte 44 (Stinson 11), New York 38 (Phillips 7). AssistsCharlotte 11 (Staley 6), New York 12 (Weatherspoon 5). Total foulsCharlotte 19, New York 18. TechnicalsNew York coach Adubato. A13,231