Phoenix Mercury open crucial road trip against New York Liberty

The Mercury fell to the Atlanta Dream on July 23, losing 90-79 in their first game back from the All-Star break. Phoenix struggled against Atlanta’s offense, only shooting 29.7% from the field and making three shots from beyond the arc.

Although the Mercury were only down by five at halftime, the Dream opened a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and stayed on top.

DeWanna Bonner was the Mercury’s top scorer with 18 points. The game marked the return of Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper and Lexi Held from injuries over the past few weeks.

Phoenix is now 15-8, second in the Western Conference and third in the league.

New York Preview

The Liberty have won four straight, with their latest win against the Indiana Fever, 98-84, on July 22. New York’s top two scorers, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, struggled to get points in during the first half. The Fever took advantage of turnovers and had a 46-42 lead at halftime.

New York fought back in the final minutes of the third quarter to take the lead. Ionescu made 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to keep her team ahead by double digits.

The Liberty’s Jonquel Jones made her return from injury and led the scoring with 18 points.

New York 16-6, first in the Eastern Conference and second in the league.

Last Encounter

The last time both teams met was on June 27 in Phoenix, where the Mercury took a 106-91 victory against the Liberty.

When To Watch

The Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty face off on Friday, July 24 at 4:30 p.m.