Mercury drop Game 1 in overtime thriller against Liberty

The New York Liberty beat the Phoenix Mercury in overtime on Sunday in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round playoff series.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sep 14, 2025, 5:01 PM Updated: Sep 15, 2025, 12:49 pm

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New York Liberty v Phoenix Mercury - Game One...

Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty takes the ball from Alyssa Thomas #25 of the Phoenix Mercury during the second quarter at PHX Arena on September 14, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/Getty Images)

(Photo by Aryanna Frank/Getty Images)

PHOENIX (AP) — Natasha Cloud scored 23 points, Breanna Stewart added 18 before hurting her knee in overtime and the New York Liberty beat the Phoenix Mercury 76-69 on Sunday in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round playoff series.

Game 2 is on Wednesday in New York, and a potential Game 3 would be back in Phoenix on Friday.

Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 15 points and Alyssa Thomas had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. DeWanna Bonner added 12 points.

The largest lead for either team in the fourth quarter was four points, as the two went back-and-forth down the stretch. Thomas missed the potential game-winner with two seconds remaining.

Cloud hit a 3-pointer to open OT and spark an 8-0 run that made it 73-65 with 1:51 left. Phoenix got within four, but Leonie Fiebich, who finished with 10 points, hit a huge 3-pointer to seal the win.

CLUTCH SHOT BY LEONIE FIEBICH 😤

The Liberty go up 76-69 with less than a minute in OT!

NYL-PHX | ESPN | WNBA Playoffs | @google pic.twitter.com/laLCcO3MNO

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2025

Cloud, who played in Phoenix last season, made back-to-back layups to give the Liberty a two-point lead with 4:17 left in the fourth quarter. Copper answered with two free throws and, after a turnover by Sabrina Ionescu, Thomas dropped a no-look pass to Copper for a wide-open layup that gave the Mercury a 65-63 lead with 1:44 remaining.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! pic.twitter.com/FTy2wWDTsi

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 14, 2025

Stewart then made a tough basket in the lane 13 seconds later that eventually forced overtime.

The Liberty, who averaged 13.8 turnovers in the regular season, finished with 20 turnovers — one shy of their season high — which included 14 after halftime.

The Mercury made 25 of 77 (33%) from the field and shot 23% (6 of 26) from 3-point range.

Stewart fell to the the ground and grabbed at her left knee after making a layup with 3:01 to play in overtime. She stayed in the game and missed the free throw, trying to play through the injury. She left the game about a minute later and didn’t return.

New York coach Sandy Brondello said after the game that her star had asked to come out.

Stewart missed about a month of the season with a bone bruise on her other knee she suffered in late July.

The Liberty have had a difficult season with injuries. Besides Stewart being out for a month, Jones missed significant time early in the year with a sprained ankle and Ionescu was out for a few games late with a toe injury she suffered in practice.

If Stewart can’t play Wednesday, New York has depth with Emma Meesseman, who they signed in August. Meesseman won a WNBA Finals MVP in 2019 while playing with Washington.