At the halftime break on Wednesday night in Brooklyn, the New York Liberty were in the middle of a tight contest against the Phoenix Mercury. They trailed by one at home and were desperately trying to avoid starting the year 3-5, which would be their worst start since 2022.
However, one half of a game is just 50 percent of the story.
New York took a close game and turned it into a comfortable 84-74 win over Phoenix.
The third quarter was the clear turning point in this matchup. Not only did they outscore
the Mercury 30-12, but they also ended the period on a 23-0 run, setting a new franchise record for the most-consecutive points scored.
It seemed like everyone in a New York uniform was in a flow state in the third quarter.
Jonquel Jones played every minute of the frame and had 10 points. Breanna Stewart was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, scoring seven points, and Marine Johannès had six points, knocking down a pair of 3s.
While offense garners the headlines, a 23-0 run only happens when a team can shut their opponent down. Through a combination of turnovers, elite perimeter defense and defensive rebounding, the Liberty were able to keep the Mercury scoreless for the final 6:09 of the period.
After the game, Jones underscored the importance of her team’s defensive performance:
Obviously, the third quarter was really good for us. Obviously, I scored, the 10 points, but I think our defense was really the biggest catalyst for us being able to turn them over, being able to get up and press, and I think it really shifted the trajectory of the game.
It gave us really good momentum. I think it was good to play a defensive night like that tonight.
A historic third quarter, however, felt highly unlikely during the opening minutes of the period.
The Mercury scored on their first possession coming out of halftime, got a stop on the other end of the floor and scored again moments later with Kahleah Copper cutting through the Liberty defense with ease. Monique Akoa Makani then stole the ball from Stewie and was fouled on the other end. After Copper scored a free throw off the transition take foul, the Mercury’s lead was up to six.
Makani continued to attack and was fouled on the next play. The New York crowd had seen enough, and boos began to ring loud enough that the announcers on USA Network addressed it while Makani knocked down a pair from the charity stripe.
After Copper scored on an open corner 3, Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco called a timeout to get his team right.
It turned into the most important stoppage of play in the game. Here’s how Jonquel described it:
He came into the huddle and he really just got into us and just said, ”We’re tired of talking about it. It’s time to just go out there and actually do it.’“ And so he definitely held us accountable and the flip was switched.
What does the flip being switched (or, the switched being flipped) look like?
Well, for the Liberty, it started with open 3s longer being available. Gone were the easy looks for Copper and company as the Mercury missed their next three attempts from beyond the arc. Along with better perimeter defense, the Liberty offense countered with a pair of 3s from Jones and Johannès to make it an even game.
Then, Jones scored again from the free throw line, and New York was back in front and never looked back.
The Liberty protected the rim, clogging up the paint and mucking up the contest with an increased level of physicality. On virtually every Phoenix possession, a player was falling to the ground, and the Liberty were winning the 50-50 rebounds that were available. The Mercury also did themselves no favors with a pair of offensive fouls, an eight-second violation and a backcourt violation.
And just like that, the jeers had turned into cheers in the Barclays Center.
The crowd was as lively as ever, and even rookie Pauline Astier got in on the fun, scoring the final points of the quarter for New York on a driving layup. As she headed to the bench, Sabrina Ionescu, sidelined with back soreness, embraced her, grinning from ear to ear and ecstatically shaking her rookie as the historic run had come to a close.
After the game, DeMarco praised his team’s competitive resilience in the third period, saying:
We turned it up. And we were playing hard and we were competing and good things happen when you’re competing like that. That group was phenomenal, especially the second half of the third.
The advantage was New York’s, and they never gave it up in the fourth, earning them the win and putting them back to .500 on the year.
It hasn’t been an easy start to the season for the Liberty. They have a new coach, pressure to win now and Ionescu has only played in one game due to injury.
Still, the talent is clearly there, and while a 23-0 run won’t be commonplace, it’s an indication of how good they can be when everyone is in sync. And after dropping their last three games, a win was much-needed, and now everyone in New York can exhale for a moment.
The Liberty will try to replicate this win on Friday when they face the Mercury again. Given how dominant New York was in this game, you can assume Phoenix will come ready to avenge this loss.
Jones expressed an awareness of the challenge that awaits, emphasizing:
We also understand that we played them again really soon. And they’re going to come out with a little bit more intensity. They’re going to be a little bit more focused.
So we have to also take it to another level, but it does feel good to be in the win column. And to play the right way, like win in the right way. Not just going out there and things kind of like luckily happening in the right way for us, but actually playing as a team like Marine said, being connected and really just feeling good when we got off the court.
