NEW YORK (AP) -After falling one win short of reaching the WNBA finals last year, the New York Liberty had high expectations coming into this season.

Things didn't work out so well.

Closing the season with a 21-point win against playoff-bound Washington on Sunday, the Liberty finished last in the Eastern Conference at 13-21 - the second-worst mark in franchise history.

``I felt very optimistic when the season started,'' president and general manager Carol Blazejowski said. ``Coming off last year's performance, two points away from the finals and the expectation was greater this year, and we failed. Very disappointing, frustrating.''

Now, the Liberty head into the offseason full of uncertainty, starting with the coach. Anne Donovan, who began the season as an assistant and took over midway when Pat Coyle was fired after a 6-11 start, finished on an interim basis, and plans to sit down with Blazejowski and evaluate her status for the future.

New York had mostly the same roster that showed steady improvement the last two years after being overhauled following a 2006 season which resulted in a franchise-record 23 losses.

The Liberty made the playoffs in the two seasons that followed, won a postseason series last year for the first time since 2004 and then lost to eventual champion Detroit by two points in the deciding Game 3 of the conference finals.

New York had only two new players this season - rookie center Kia Vaughn, the team's first-round draft pick, and third-year forward Sidney Spencer, aquired in a trade with Los Angeles.

``The same team - with the addition of two people - made it to the Eastern Conference finals last year, and this year we got knocked out,'' center Janel McCarville said. ``You can't not come to play on certain nights and expect to win. You need to come every night with the right mindset and come out ready to put in work.''

All-Star forward Shameka Christon agreed the team may have lacked the mental focus to keep building on its previous success.

``I've talked to my teammates about this - you've got to take this season personal,'' she said. ``You have to come back better. This league is getting better each year, you got to come back hungry and ready to win. I'm not sure we came back this year better and hungry, ready to win, ready to compete. And it showed.''

Christon was one of the few bright spots for the Liberty, finishing with career highs in scoring (16.1 points per game), rebounding (4.9), field goals made (154) and 3-pointers made (78). Also, second-year guard Essence Carson was third on the team in scoring (10.0) and Vaughn steadily improved through the season and averaged 9.4 points in her last five games.

However, Christon averaged just 13.9 points her last 16 games and was slowed by a flu bug down the stretch. McCarville struggled early, came on in August and then was also slowed down the stretch by an ankle injury.

``Shameka was strong the first half of the season, and after the All-Star (game), took a little bit of a slide,'' Blazejowski said. ``And then Janel came on strong. When you have veterans like that, they've got to both put it together for the full season, or you're going to end up where we ended up.''

The Liberty lost five of six before the season finale and finished 7-10 under Donovan.

``No. 1, the rest of the league got better, and No. 2 ... not everybody had great years,'' said Donovan, who coached Seattle to the WNBA championship in 2004 and led the U.S. women's team to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics last year.

``Overall, there's not anyone that can be exempt from what happened this year,'' she added. ``All of us take accountability and responsibility. Over time, Blaze will evaluate and make some adjustments, and hopefully we'll have a better group next year.''

Any adjustments to the roster will take work. The Liberty would be eligible for the draft lottery, but they traded their first-round pick in the deal for Spencer.

``Never thought we'd be a lottery team,'' Blazejowski said. ``I gambled, didn't pay off. So, we have assets. I'm sure we can find us a first-round pick. ... We'll shop free agency. We have options, and we'll explore those options.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.