Mercury falls short to the Liberty

The Phoenix Mercury came up short Wednesday night, falling 84-74 to the New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a nationally televised WNBA matchup.

Phoenix kept the game competitive through the first half and trailed by just one point at halftime, but New York used a strong second-half performance to pull away and secure the victory.

Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 19 points while Natasha Mack added 12 points and five rebounds. Alyssa Thomas contributed nine points and eight assists as Phoenix continued searching for consistency during a difficult early season stretch.

For the Liberty, Marine Johannes sparked the offense with a game-high 21 points, knocking down several key three-pointers throughout the night. Jonquel Jones recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Breanna Stewart added 11 points in the win.

The Mercury shot well at times offensively, but New York’s outside shooting proved to be the difference. The Liberty connected from deep consistently and controlled the momentum late in the game to close out the 10-point win.

The matchup also featured extra attention surrounding former Mercury star Satou Sabally, who joined the Liberty during the offseason after helping Phoenix reach the WNBA Finals last season. Sabally missed Wednesday’s game due to illness.

New York was also without star guard Sabrina Ionescu, who sat out because of back soreness and injury management.

The loss dropped Phoenix to 2-6 on the season as the Mercury continue their road trip looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Liberty improved to 4-4 with the victory.