Sabrina Ionescu (27 points), Liberty surge past Mercury

Field Level Media|published: Sat 1st August, 17:48 2026 Aug 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) against Phoenix Mercury forward Noemie Brochant (1) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sabrina Ionescu had 27 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and the New York Liberty overcame a 10-point second-half deficit for a 94-92 victory over the host Phoenix Mercury on Saturday afternoon.

Breanna Stewart had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Han Xu had season highs with 17 points and three 3-pointers for the Liberty (17-13), who have won four of five.

DeWanna Bonner had a season-high 25 points along with seven rebounds and Kahleah Copper also scored 25 for the Mercury (11-19), who had a three-game winning streak broken.vAlyssa Thomas contributed 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Jonquel Jones added 16 points and nine rebounds, and her putback gave the Liberty an 89-83 lead with 1:38 left. Rebecca Allen’s 3-pointer on the next possession made it 92-84.

The Liberty swept the three-game season series after winning back-to-back games in New York on May 27 and 29.

Bonner made a 3-pointer after a New York turnover to close the gap to 92-90 with 24.1 seconds remaining after the last of three straight Liberty turnovers.

Stewart hit two free throws with 12.7 left for a 94-90 lead. Thomas’ layup with four seconds left brought the Mercury close, but the Liberty inbounded the ball and the Mercury could not foul as time expired.

The Liberty had a 37-23 rebounding edge, 16 second-chance points and 44 points in the paint.

Ionescu had seven points in the first quarter, when the Liberty scored 11 of the first 12 points and used a late 9-2 run for a 26-15 edge at the quarter. Their largest lead of the game was 13.

Bonner scored eight points as the Mercury closed the second quarter on an 18-9 stretch to get within 46-43 at the break. Stewart, who passed Candace Parker as the 10th-leading all-time scorer in the league Thursday, had six points in the first half.

Noemie Brochant’s 3-pointer gave the Mercury their first lead at 50-48 with 8:17 left in the third quarter.

Copper’s second 3-pointer capped a 12-0 run to give the Mercury their largest lead at 62-52 with 4:06 remaining in the third. The Liberty closed on a 12-1 run capped by Ionescu’s 3-pointer for a 66-65 edge.

The Liberty did not trail the rest of the way.

–Field Level Media

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