Overview
- The Liberty, in their 94-92 victory on Saturday, Aug. 1, were driven by Sabrina Ionescu's 27 points and 10 assists that helped New York erase a second-half deficit.
- Bench forward Han Xu scored a season-high 17 points including three 3-pointers while Breanna Stewart had 14 points and 11 rebounds to steady New York's interior game.
- New York dominated inside play and the glass, finishing 19 of 19 from the foul line with a 37-23 rebounding edge that produced 16 second-chance points and 44 points in the paint.
- The Mercury got 25 points each from DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Copper but burned clock and committed late turnovers that allowed the Liberty to hold on for the two-point win.
- Phoenix fell to 11-19 and now sits six games behind the eighth playoff spot with 14 games left, a shortfall made worse by an upcoming multi-game road stretch that raises urgency for a timely winning run.