On Friday nights, the Freedom and Mercury had quite different experiences.
The Liberty embarked on a four-game road trip to Phoenix, while the Mercury were thrilled to be back at home after 16 days away.
Coming off a franchise-record 17 three-pointers in last week’s win, the Mercury outdid themselves with 18, leading to a decisive 106-91 victory over the Liberty.
“I think everyone is feeling the disappointment. I really don’t care about making excuses,” said Liberty coach Sandy Blonduro after the loss. “The players are feeling it, too. We can’t change what happened, but if we want to improve and be among the top teams, we need to do better.”
From start to finish, the Mercury were on fire, while the Liberty had a tough time, particularly with Breanna Stewart (17 points) and Sabrina Ionescu (9 points) struggling early on.
Stewart and Ionescu fired off a 10-1 run in the first quarter, leaving the Liberty trailing 13-3 by halftime. Ionescu, dealing with a nagging neck injury, wasn’t at her best.
“She’s not completely healthy, but she says she’s good to play,” Blonduro mentioned about Ionescu. “She’s tough; today wasn’t her day, but she’s a fighter.”
Kennedy Burke and Marine Johannus provided a spark off the bench, contributing 19 points to the Liberty’s 43 points in the first half.
Burke, Johannus, Nyara Sabally (14 points, 6 rebounds), and Isabel Harrison (10 points) combined for a decent performance, with the rest of the team lagging behind.
“It was about my position,” Sabally said, reflecting on her game. “In the second half, Coach Sandy kept emphasizing to post up and be more aggressive.”
The Mercury had everything going for them, particularly in the first half, where they established an 18-point lead at the break.
Every Phoenix player who saw the court in the first half managed to score, and they shot an impressive 60% from the field, with 11 three-pointers coming from various players.
The Liberty found it hard to contain Alyssa Thomas, who turned in a stellar performance with 17 points, 15 assists, and 9 rebounds.
For every challenge the Liberty attempted, the Mercury had an answer ready.
Nyara’s sisters, Sami Whitcomb and Satou Sabally, lit it up from beyond the arc, finishing with a 17-12 three-point shot tally. Satou shone with a game-high of 25 points, along with 6 rebounds and 7 three-pointers.
Despite contributions from Stewart and Ionescu in the second half, the Liberty couldn’t quite catch up.
Stewart ignited the team in the third quarter with 10 points, trimming the deficit to 7. Ionescu added six quick points to start the fourth, but the momentum fizzled, and Stewart didn’t score again until the final minutes.
“We gave up 61 points at halftime,” Blonduro noted. “I wasn’t part of that effort. We lacked fight, and it’s disheartening because our strength lies in teamwork.
“We need to dig deeper and play tougher. If our effort isn’t up to par, we’ll be taken advantage of. [Phoenix] is a strong team with fantastic shooting skills.”
