Africa
Albania
Algeria
Americas
Angola
Argentina
Asian
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Estonia
Europe
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
International
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Latvia
Lebanon
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Mexico
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Oceania
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
Vietnam
Mike vs. Jones (Astil gets the ball)Fibich received an assist from Astil and hit a three-pointer
Cooper made a mistake while losing the ball, which Johannes interceptedAstil made a mistake after losing the ball, which was intercepted by BrochampMike received an assist from Ako Makani and scored on a layupJohannes missed a layup on a driveJones grabbed offensive reboundsJones missed a two-point shotCooper defended the reboundMike missed a drifting shotStewart defended the reboundFiebich received an assist from Johannes and scored on a layupFiebich defended for 3 seconds (technical foul)Cooper made a free throw due to a technical foulAko Maccagni missed a three-pointerThomas grabbed offensive reboundsThomas missed a putbackJohannes defended the reboundJones missed a layupMike defended the reboundCooper pulled back and missed a long-range jumperMike grabbed offensive reboundsMike hit a two-pointerJohannes Foot's three-point jumper was blocked by BrochampBroghan defensively reboundedJohannes committed a personal foulAko Makani made a passing error, and Jones stole the ballJohannes received an assist from Stewart and hit a three-pointerAko Makani received an assist from Thomas and hit a three-pointerAko Makani committed a personal foulMercury made substitutions, with Nojić coming on for Ako MakaniJones's foot layup was blocked by MikeJones grabbed offensive reboundsJones missed a two-point shotJones grabbed offensive reboundsJones hit a two-pointerThomas received an assist from Brogchan and hit a two-point shotJohannes received an assist from Fiebich and hit a three-pointerBrogchan's three-pointer missedAstile's defensive reboundJohannes received an assist from Astile and hit a three-pointerNojić received an assist from Thomas and hit a three-pointer
Official suspensionLibero substitution: Gardner came on to replace FiebichLibero substitution: Allen came in to replace AstileLibero substitution: Han Xu came on to replace JonesMercury made substitutions, with Linskens coming on to replace CooperMercury made substitutions, Bonner came in to replace MikeHan Xu received an assist from Johannes and scored on an alley-oop layupBrogchan received an assist from Thomas and hit a three-pointerStewart missed a jumperBonner defensively reboundedBonner missed a three-pointerStewart defended the reboundJohannes hit a three-pointerNorjić made a passing error and lost the ball, and Han Xu intercepted the ballGardner received an assist from Johannes and scored a two-point layupBrogchan's three-pointer missedLinskens grabbed offensive reboundsNojić received an assist from Linskens and hit a three-pointerHan Xu's two-point shot was blocked by Lin SkensThe libero grabbed offensive reboundsMercury made substitutions, Cooper came on to replace BrochampLibero made substitutions, with Asteel coming on to replace JohannesLibero made substitutions, Fiebich came on to replace StewartMercury made substitutions, with Ayai coming on to replace ThomasAyai committed an off-ball foulFiebich made the free throwAstil's drifting shot missedNojić defensively reboundedNorgich's three-pointer pull-up jumper was blocked by AstileAllen defensively reboundedAllen missed a two-point shotLinskens defensively reboundedCooper hit a two-pointerHan Xu stopped abruptly but missed a jumperMercury grabbed the defensive reboundCooper made a passing error on the lineLiberty substitutions, Johannes came on to replace AllenMercury made substitutions, with Mike coming on to replace LinskensAshiel missed a two-point shotMike defended the reboundFiebich committed a shooting foulAyai received two free throws, with the first one making itLibero made substitutions, with Stewart coming on to replace Han XuMercury made substitutions, Williams came on to replace NorgićAyayi missed his second free throwStewart defended the reboundEnd of the first quarterThe New York Liberty continued their strong start to the 2026 WNBA season with a commanding 84–74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night at Barclays Center. The Liberty improved to an early-season winning record behind a balanced offensive attack and a stifling defensive effort that held the Mercury in check for most of the contest.
Match Overview
From the opening tip, New York set the tone on both ends of the floor. The Liberty raced to a 12-point lead by halftime, capitalizing on fast-break opportunities and second-chance points. Phoenix, however, refused to go quietly. Led by their veteran backcourt, the Mercury cut the deficit to single digits in the third quarter, but the Liberty responded with timely three-pointers and crucial defensive stops down the stretch.
- Final Score: New York Liberty 84 – Phoenix Mercury 74
- Date: May 28, 2026
- Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
- Attendance: 9,843 (sellout)
Key Moments That Decided the Game
The Liberty’s ability to control the paint proved decisive. New York outscored Phoenix 38–26 in the paint and collected 14 offensive rebounds, leading to 18 second-chance points. A pivotal stretch came midway through the fourth quarter when the Mercury had closed to within four points. Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu drilled a step-back three, then forced a turnover on the defensive end that led to a fast-break layup, pushing the lead back to nine and effectively sealing the game.
Phoenix struggled with foul trouble in the second half, and the Liberty capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 20 of 24 attempts. The Mercury, by contrast, managed only 12 trips to the stripe.
Standout Players
New York Liberty: Breanna Stewart led all scorers with 26 points, adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Ionescu contributed a near triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. Forward Jonquel Jones anchored the defense with 3 blocks and 11 boards.
Phoenix Mercury: Diana Taurasi, in her final season, poured in 22 points and dished out 6 assists. Brittney Griner added 18 points and 8 rebounds, but the Liberty’s double-teams limited her impact in the fourth quarter.
Season and Table Impact
The win lifted the Liberty into sole possession of second place in the WNBA standings early in the season, behind only the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. For Phoenix, the loss dropped them to 1–2 on a three-game road trip. The Mercury will look to regroup as they return home to face the Seattle Storm next week.
This contest reinforced New York’s reputation as a serious title contender. With Stewart and Ionescu playing at an MVP level and a deep supporting cast, the Liberty appear poised for another deep playoff run.