Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) celebrates with her teammates as they defeat the New York Liberty 79-73 to win the series during Game Three of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs first round at PHX Arena on Sept. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How The Mercury And Liberty Met In The Playoffs

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty have history. Both of these teams have been around since the beginning, as they were a part of the 1997 season.

The Mercury began their journey with Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms. They received both players through allocation, and after that, they built the rest of their roster. The Liberty received Rebecca Lobo and Teresa Weatherspoon during that period, and they added talent to their roster as well.

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Mercury and the Liberty meet for the first time

Both teams played well during the season, as the Mercury finished the season with a record of 16-12, and the Liberty were 17-11. These teams made the playoffs, and in what was a single-elimination game, New York got the win.

New York defeated Phoenix, and for the Mercury, Gillom and Marlies Askamp were the leading scorers. However, they did not reach double figures, as both of them had nine points. The Liberty came out victorious, and they faced the Houston Comets in the WNBA Finals. Houston won that game, and the Comets became the league's first champion.

While that was the first time the Mercury and Liberty met, it would not be the last. They met years later, as they battled in the second round of the 2016 playoffs. The Mercury faced the Indiana Fever in the first round, and they picked up an 89-78 win. Then, when it came to the matchup against the Liberty, they beat New York 101-94.

Phoenix faced the Minnesota Lynx in the next round, and the Lynx swept them. Minnesota met the Los Angeles Sparks in the Finals, and the Sparks won it all.

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The Mercury and the Liberty met in 2021, and it was during the first round. Phoenix beat New York 83-82, after that, the Mercury beat the Seattle Storm in overtime. Then, they faced the Las Vegas Aces, and after beating Las Vegas, Phoenix took on the Chicago Sky. The Sky won their first championship, as they beat the Mercury 3-1.

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Phoenix and New York met a few years later, as these teams met in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The Liberty won the first game of the series, but the Mercury won the last two.

The Mercury reached the Finals, but they fell to the Aces. Phoenix went on an impressive run, and in the end, the Mercury added another Finals appearance to their legacy.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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