The defending champions are getting ready to elimination.
It appeared that method on Sunday when Alyssa Thomas rose up for a layup, however surprisingly smoked the try and gave the Liberty life.
However this time, it was Thomas and her Mercury squad caring for enterprise on Wednesday evening with a 86-60 Sport 2 win at Barclays Middle.
The collection now shifts again to Phoenix for a decisive Sport 3 to determine who will probably face the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in a second-round best-of-five collection.
“I mean, the message is everybody keep our heads up,” stated Breanna Stewart. “This is a series, and Phoenix is a tough team. They came in and they embarrassed us on our home court, and now we have to go back there for Game 3. Winner take all. If we’re not ready for that, then, you know, we shouldn’t be here.”
And if the Liberty proceed enjoying like they did on Wednesday evening, Friday’s Sport 3 would be the final time they’ll name themselves defending champions.
The Liberty’s highly-touted five-out offense appeared as unhealthy because it ever appeared all season.
Not even one Liberty starter managed to attain in double figures in 40 minutes of motion. Emma Meesseman scored a team-high 11 factors in 18 minutes off the bench.
On the opposite finish, 4 Mercury gamers — Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner scored no less than 14 factors.
There was an excessive amount of dribbling on the perimeter by Natasha Cloud and Sabrina Ionescu. The Liberty struggled to get by level of assault strain — largely utilized by Copper and Sami Whitcomb — all evening.
Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts made the change of gluing Whitcomb — changing Monique Akoa Makani — on Ionescu after the Liberty star received free on a number of possessions early within the matchup. Ionescu completed Sport 2 with 9 factors on 3-of-13 taking pictures to go together with 4 rebounds and three assists.
“I thought… Mo got off to a little bit of a slow start defensively on Sabrina,” Tibbetts stated. “Sabrina kind of got going. Went to Sammy early, probably earlier than we usually do, but that’s why you go and get veterans, right? Sami, [Bonner], but yeah, I mean, I was really proud of the job that Kahleah did on Cloud, Sammy did on Sabrina.”
Tibbetts then credited Sabally’s use of size to disrupt the Liberty and added: “We just battled all night, and that’s what we’re going to need in Game 3.”
The house group managed to complete the primary quarter tied, 25-25. However, Sandy Brondello’s group fell aside within the second.
The Mercury’s first three baskets of the quarter — all scored by Sabally — have been on Stewart or with the injured ahead in screen-and-roll motion.
It’s a very rational technique to gauge how effectively the elite defender can get near that degree whereas coping with a sprained MCL.
After a timeout, Kennedy Burke defended Sabally whereas Stewart stayed on Bonner, but it surely solely lasted a possession as Stewart headed to the bench.
Phoenix continued that surge, which resulted in a 16-5 run halfway by way of the second.
“We’re a way better team then what we showed today,” stated Brondello. “So it was disappointing with that. I just thought, you know, we turned the ball over and [allowed] easy baskets in transition.”
On the finish, the Liberty scored simply two fastbreak factors whereas the Mercury totaled 20. The Mercury scored 25 factors on 15 Liberty turnovers. Phoenix solely turned the ball over 9 occasions, resulting in seven factors on the opposite finish.
The Liberty did not create offense and people misfires received the Mercury entering into transition. And at no juncture did the group make consecutive intentional efforts to lean on the engine of the group — Jonquel Jones.
The 6-6 machine spent too many positions floating on the perimeter and in pick-and-roll actions that didn’t create alternatives for her. Tibbetts deserves credit score for his sport plan, however this precise challenge has plagued the Liberty for numerous stretches for the reason that All-Star arrived in Brooklyn again in 2023.
Whereas the Liberty turned in too many meaningless possessions, the Mercury turned the Barclays Middle hardwood right into a monitor meet.
On one possession, Bonner cruised in for a straightforward layup. Then 20 seconds later, Thomas introduced the ball up the court docket, ran down the center of the paint untouched and transformed on the simplest basket of the evening.
The protection was so egregious Brondello was pressured to name timeout. The deficit grew to as many as 19 factors in that interval. It ballooned to 31 throughout a meaningless second half.
And the one draw back for Tibbetts’ squad was Sabally’s technical foul for shouting at an official.
The third quarter featured the identical points because the Liberty misplaced, 18-10, within the interval.
Wednesday’s matchup was over earlier than the fourth quarter started.
The one resolution left to make was to tug Stewart off the ground so she might start resting for a do-or-die Sport 3.
Rightfully so, Brondello started the fourth with Cloud and 4 reserves. The lone starter later exited earlier than the ultimate buzzer.
The collection is now knotted at 1-1.
The Sport 3 loser will pack their luggage and put together for an extended winter.
“We can’t go out and play the same way we did and expect a different result,” stated Ionescu. “I feel we’ve got to exit and make the changes. And play like our season’s on the road, as a result of it’s and so is theirs. And I feel that’s, , it’s going to return all the way down to who can execute, who can string collectively one of the best 40 minutes of basketball. And, , hopefully that’s us.
Initially Printed: September 17, 2025 at 10:02 PM EDT
