Liberty 89-76 Mercury (Jul 25, 2025) Game Recap

The New York Liberty defeated the Phoenix Mercury 89-76 on Friday night, securing their fifth consecutive win. Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 29 points, while Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Leonie Fiebich contributed 13 points. The victory improved the Liberty's record to 17-6, widening their lead over the third-place Mercury, who dropped to 15-9.

After trailing 54-49 midway through the third quarter, the Liberty surged with an 18-5 run to close the period. Jones capped the rally with a fadeaway shot just before the buzzer, giving New York a 67-59 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

In the final period, Ionescu ignited a 10-2 run by scoring the first five points, extending the Liberty's advantage to 82-64—their largest of the game. The Mercury could not reduce the deficit to single digits for the remainder of the contest.

For Phoenix, Alyssa Thomas nearly achieved a triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, falling just short of her 17th career triple-double. The Mercury started strong, scoring the first eight points and building a 12-point lead early on, but the Liberty rallied to tie the game 46-46 at halftime, thanks to Ionescu's two free throws with 0.9 seconds left in the second quarter.

At halftime, Jones had recorded 11 points and eight rebounds for the Liberty, while Thomas led the Mercury with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.