The New York Liberty handed the Phoenix Mercury the first home upset of the playoffs Sunday night, but did so under an umbrella of question marks after Breanna Stewart injured her left leg toward the game's end. The Liberty ultimately bested the Mercury 76-69 after five minutes of overtime.
The match was tight for nearly the entire 45-minute run, and both teams struggled at times to make shots. Despite her injury, Stewart racked up 18 points and 6 rebounds for the Liberty, and Natasha Cloud hit a big 23 points and 6 rebounds. The Mercury's Alyssa Thomas nearly nabbed another triple-double with 14 points, 8 assists, and 9 rebounds, but that effort was not enough on her own.
Despite the win for New York, Stewart's injury cast a dark shadow over the team's potential progression through the series. The Liberty has battled numerous injuries this season, and Stewart herself only recently returned to the floor after suffering a bone bruise in her right knee at the end of July. She departed tonight's game with a brace wrapped around her left knee, and an update from the Liberty was not immediately available.
The Liberty will next host the Mercury at Barclay's Center on September 17.
The first day of playoffs has been a big one
Sunday kicked off the first round of playoffs with matches between the Golden State Valkyries and the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream. The Las Vegas Aces will host the Seattle Storm at 10 pm ET.
Though Golden State began their first against the No. 1 seed on a tear, the team quickly fell due to poor shooting and organization, and finished the game down nearly 30 points (the Lynx walked away 101-72). The team's performance highlighted an issue that isn't anything new: Golden State has struggled offensively all season, and finished the regular season ranking 10 in points per game, last in field-goal percentage, and 11th in 3-point percentage.
There's good news for the Valkyries ahead: the team will have their turn hosting Minnesota on September 17, though they'll have to do so from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
The Dream managed to deftly defend their home court against the Fever, taking down the No. 6 seed 80-68 in a dramatic game that left Indiana's head coach with a technical foul after she reacted to a missed call. The two teams will next meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 16.