PHOENIX MERCURY

Mercury hold on in thriller vs. Liberty, advance in WNBA playoffs

Sep 23, 2021, 9:39 PM

PHOENIX — Sophie Cunningham hit 6 of 9 3-pointers for a career-high 21 points and Brianna Turner made the winning free throw with less than a second to play, giving the Phoenix Mercury an 83-82 win over the New York Liberty in a first-round WNBA playoff game on Thursday night.

The upstart Liberty had tied the game on Betnijah Laney’s long 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left, but the Mercury got the ball to Turner underneath the basket on the ensuing inbounds play, forcing Sami Whitcomb to foul with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Turner’s first free throw rimmed out but she calmly made the second, moving the fifth-seeded Mercury into the second round. Phoenix will play another single-elimination game at fourth-seeded Seattle on Sunday.

Sabrina Ionescu’s last-second heave didn’t come close for the eighth-seeded Liberty, who at at 12-20 had the worst regular-season winning percentage of any playoff team in WNBA history.

Skylar Diggins-Smith led Phoenix with 22 points and Brittney Griner had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Turner had 12 points and nine rebounds.

Laney led New York with 25 points, Natasha Howard had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Ionescu finished with 14 points and 11 assists.

Phoenix hit eight of its first 10 shots to race to an 11-point lead, but by the end of the first quarter the Liberty had cut the deficit to 24-23. New York surged ahead by as many as six before leading 41-37 at the half.

Cunningham kept the Mercury in the game with 12 points in the third quarter, but they couldn’t shake the Liberty.

Phoenix Mercury

Caitlin Clark celebrates...

Associated Press

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inspiring a younger generation of players

Caitlin Clark's deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women's basketball players.

14 hours ago

2024 WNBA All-Star Game logo...

Arizona Sports

2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix to feature Team USA

The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix will feature a matchup of the USA Basketball against a remaining group of All-Stars.

8 days ago

Mat Ishbia and Adam Silver...

Arizona Sports

Adam Silver credits Mat Ishbia for commitments to Suns, Mercury with upcoming All-Star games

The world's biggest basketball stars are coming to Phoenix for the WNBA All-Star Game this summer and the NBA All-Star Game in 2027.

21 days ago

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark...

Associated Press

Iowa star Caitlin Clark declares for 2024 WNBA Draft

Iowa's Caitlin Clark announced Thursday that she will leave the Hawkeyes after this season and enter the WNBA Draft.

28 days ago

Sug Sutton...

Arizona Sports

Phoenix Mercury re-sign Sug Sutton to training camp contract

The Phoenix Mercury re-signed point guard Sug Sutton to a training camp contract on Tuesday coming off her breakout season in 2023.

30 days ago

Natasha Cloud #9 of the Washington Mystics plays against the New York Liberty during Game Two of Ro...

Arizona Sports

Mercury’s commitment was ‘everything’ for new G Natasha Cloud

New Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud said the franchise's commitment to improving was a driving force in her decision to sign.

1 month ago

Mercury hold on in thriller vs. Liberty, advance in WNBA playoffs