Sabrina Ionescu's 29 points lead Liberty to 89-76 win over Mercury

The New York Liberty defeated the Phoenix Mercury 89-76 on Friday night, securing their fifth consecutive victory. Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty (17-6) with 29 points, while Jonquel Jones contributed a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Leonie Fiebich added 13 points for New York, who increased their lead over the third-place Mercury (15-9) in the standings.

Despite Phoenix starting strong with an 8-0 run and building an early 12-point lead, the Liberty rallied to tie the game 46-46 at halftime. Ionescu hit two crucial free throws with 0.9 seconds left in the second quarter. The Mercury held a 54-49 advantage midway through the third quarter, but New York finished the period on an 18-5 run, capped by Jones' fadeaway shot at the buzzer, taking a 67-59 lead into the final quarter.

The Liberty extended their lead in the fourth quarter behind Ionescu, who scored the first five points during a 10-2 run that gave New York its largest lead at 82-64. Phoenix could not reduce the deficit to single digits for the remainder of the game. Alyssa Thomas led the Mercury with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, falling just short of a triple-double.