Breanna Stewart battled on one healthy leg. Homegrown star Sabrina Ionescu tried to create a spark to guarantee at least one more Barclays Center playoff game in a potential best-of-five semifinals series.
But their efforts weren’t enough. After blowing Game 1, the Mercury completed a reverse sweep with a 79-73 Game 3 win on Friday night.
The superteam Liberty failed to become just the fourth WNBA franchise to win back-to-back titles. There will be a new WNBA champion crowned in October as the Liberty head into a winter offseason filled with uncertainties if there will even be a season in 2026 (possible lockout).
“What’s going through my mind is ‘it’s tough,’” Stewart said postgame. “Only one team gets to feel good at the end of their season, and this year, we weren’t that team. And it really, really hurts, and I think it’ll continue to hurt for days, weeks, months from now, but at the same time, like, really proud of the group.”
The leader continued to credit her team on how they stayed resilient through “all the sh-t” they experienced in 2025.
“I mean, it hurts, but I wouldn’t want to have any season like this with anybody else,” Stewart said.
Down the stretch, Stewart, who again played on a sprained left MCL, attempted a 2023 MVP-type performance to will her team to victory with most of her teammates ineffective in a do-or-die matchup.
Every Liberty point in the fourth quarter was scored by Stewart. The 6-4 star appeared shocked not knowing of the feat when it was mentioned postgame.
“[It’s] what you see from Stewie every night,” Ionescu said when asked to describe Stewart’s almost heroic performance. “I mean, nothing different. You know, her ability to do everything continue to shoot, pass, rebound, defend. I mean, one of the greatest to ever play the game, and she’s still playing it. So for me, it’s an honor to be able to watch what she does every day, how she leads by example, how I can have a player to look up to, like her on my team, and going to war with her every day.”
Stewart scored 14 of her 30 points in the fourth, utilizing her elite length on the other end to spark opportunities on offense.
The late takeover featured turnarounds, and-1s, pullup jumpers — you name it.
But it wasn’t enough as Alyssa Thomas’ triple-double — 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists — and Satou Sabally’s team-high 23 points and 12 rebounds were just enough to outlast the defending champions.
After Friday’s performance, Thomas now owns five of the seven triple-doubles in WNBA playoff history.
“AT is incredible,” Stewart said. “I think the way that she’s really kind of perfected her game to be a nightmare all over the court, whether it’s rebounding or dishing or getting downhill. Like, coming to Phoenix was probably one of the best decisions of her career, if you ask her, I just feel like they’re using her incredibly well.”
The Liberty, though, had a chance to tie down three with 56.3 seconds remaining in regulation.
Natasha Cloud tossed an inbounds pass intended for Stewart cutting to the rim, but Thomas — Phoenix’s do-it-all MVP candidate — swatted the pass off the backboard and into Natasha Mack’s hands.
Kahleah Copper then scored to put her team up five with 32.8 seconds remaining in regulation. It was the dagger that put the game out of reach. And it set up a second-round series between No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx and No. 4 seed Mercury.
The Mercury fought for all four quarters while the Liberty started sluggish.
To start, it appeared one team was aware Friday’s Game 3 was an elimination game while the other performed like it was a preseason exhibition.
Phoenix again dominated in transition and won the first-quarter free throw battle, 10-2. It contributed to a 12-4 to end the first as the Liberty trailed by seven.
The Mercury were quicker to every rebound and 50-50 ball.
They closed out possessions while the Liberty lacked urgency to deny Phoenix offensive rebound opportunities. The first-half disparity was obvious: 7-0 in favor of the Mercury on the offensive glass. Eventually, the Mercury totaled eight offensive boards and 49 total in Game 3. The Liberty finished with 33 rebounds (two offensive).
Phoenix looked to take charge in the second like they did in their dominant Game 2 win in Brooklyn.
But Ionescu charged her team back with 12 second-quarter points of her own to help her team enter halftime down by just four, 45-41. She entered halftime with 14 points while Stewart contributed 14 of her own (eight in the second) while looking much better on the floor with a sprained left MCL.
Following halftime, Ionescu continued in the third with a 23-foot trey and layup that gave the Liberty their first lead since the first quarter. It didn’t last long due to Sabally’s free throws that put the Mercury back in front, 47-46, at the 8:45 mark. The period ensued with buckets from both sides and no one putting together a damaging run going into the fourth.
After three quarters, the Liberty trailed, 60-59.
From there, it was all up to Stewart.
Emma Meesseman, the Liberty’s key midseason pickup, was ineffective (zero points on three shots) in Game 3 like she’s been for most of the first-round series.
Jonquel Jones got called for a technical foul in Game 3 while seeming frustrated throughout the matchup. She finished with three points on 1-of-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. Aside from Stewart’s and Ionescu’s combined 55 points, the rest of the Liberty team scored just 21 points on 32 shots.
With most of her team ineffective, Stewart dominated her matchup against DeWanna Bonner. She vowed to turn in a better performance than Wednesday’s poor Game 2 — and she did.
Ionescu also made good on her promise.
But there was no one else to look to for a season-saving performance. The Liberty are no longer champions.
The loss will sting.
And it’ll sting for much longer if there’s no 2026 WNBA season due to a lockout.
Originally Published:
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