When the first-round matchups were decided, the series between New York and Phoenix immediately promised to be the most competitive first-round battle. The two teams delivered, sending their first meeting to overtime. New York got the win, handing out the first upset of the playoffs.
Game 2 was not as competitive. The Liberty suffered an 86-60 loss in front of their fanbase. Emma Meesseman was the only Liberty player who scored in double figures. Breanna Stewart, who is playing through a knee injury, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones only combined for 22 points.
The Liberty have championship aspirations, but didn’t look like one of the best teams in the W in this game. Nevertheless, Jonquel Jones said there’s no reason to panic quite yet.
“The vibe is, the season isn’t over,” Jones said after the game. “The vibe is, we got Game 1. We have the opportunity to go play another game and win another game…We know what it’s gonna take, but there’s definitely no panic.”
The Liberty struggled in several areas
The first quarter was evenly matched. Both teams scored 25 points, going into the second quarter on a clean slate. Then, the Liberty fell off, scoring only 12 points compared to the Mercury’s 26, and lost the other two quarters as well.
New York shot only 30.2% from the field and 23.1% from three. The Liberty also gave up 25 points off turnovers and lost the battle in the paint.
While the Liberty had their fair share of troubles during the regular season, fans aren’t used to seeing lacklustre performances like this—especially not when games matter the most.
The Liberty’s stars know what it takes to bounce back
The Liberty have an experienced and star-studded roster. Stewart, Jones, and Ionescu won a title together last season, and Meesseman and Cloud won a championship with the Mystics in 2019. New York also went to the finals with the core of Ionescu, Stewart, and Jones in 2024. They know exactly what it takes to overcome adversity and bounce back from a bad loss.
Nevertheless, Ionescu called for an increased sense of urgency going into the next game. “We can’t go out and play the same way we did and expect a different result,” Ionescu said after the game. “We have to go out and make the adjustments and play like our season’s on the line because it is.”
The Mercury are on the brink of eliminating the defending champions from the playoffs and will get a chance to do so on their home court. Winning this final game of the series will take everything New York has to offer, especially with Stewart playing through an injury.
A win in Game 3 would only offer a brief respite, however. Whoever wins this series will have to face the Lynx. Minnesota already closed out its series against the Valkyries and will go into the second round well rested.