The Phoenix Mercury entered their first-round playoff series against the defending champion New York Liberty with the odds stacked against them. Few expected them to advance, and most national analysts picked New York to roll through.
But on Friday night in Phoenix, the Mercury flipped the script. In front of a fired-up home crowd for a decisive Game 3, the Mercury stunned the Liberty 79–73 to knock out the reigning champs and punch their ticket to the next round.
Alyssa Thomas once again set the tone, recording yet another triple-double and further cementing her place in the history books. She now owns five of the seven total triple-doubles in WNBA playoff history, a staggering testament to her dominance.
With Thomas leading the way, the Mercury weathered New York’s push and sent the Liberty packing, closing the door on their repeat hopes. Breanna Stewart gave it her all, scoring 30 points for the Liberty, but 20 points from Thomas and 23 points from Satou Sabally were enough to give Phoenix the win. DeWanna Bonner had 8 rebounds off the bench, which passed Candace Parker for the most playoff rebounds in WNBA history.
For Phoenix, it was more than just an upset win. It was a statement and proof that they’re far from finished in these playoffs.
Their reward? A date with the league’s best. The Mercury now turn their attention to the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA’s top seed and a team that gave Phoenix fits all season long. The Mercury went just 1–3 against Minnesota in the regular season, setting the stage for an uphill battle in the semifinals.
Game 1 tips off Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Minnesota, airing nationally on ESPN.
Congratulations to the Mercury for punching their ticket to the WNBA Semifinals. And for proving once again that postseason basketball is all about belief, resilience, and timely execution.
