Breanna Stewart, Liberty fall short in season-ending loss to Mercury
Breanna Stewart fought on a healthy leg. The local star Sabrina Ionescu has tried to create a spark to guarantee at least a play of series eliminations of Barclays Center in a potential series of semi-finals.
But their efforts were not enough. After blowing match 1, the Mercury finished a reverse scan with a victory of 79-73 games 3 Friday evening.
The Superteam Liberty failed to become the fourth WNBA franchise to win consecutive titles. There will be a new WNBA champion crowned in October while the Liberty heads for a winter off-season filled with uncertainties if there will even be a season in 2026 (possible lockout).
“What goes through my mind is” it’s difficult, “said Stewart after the match. “A single team feels good at the end of their season, and this year, we were not this team. And it really hurts, and I think it will continue to hurt for days, weeks, months, but at the same time, like, really proud of the group.”
The chief continued to credit his team on how he remained resilient thanks to “all the SH-T” they knew in 2025.
“I mean, it hurts, but I wouldn’t want to have a season like that with someone else,” said Stewart.
In the section, Stewart, who played again on a sprained left MCL, tried a MVP 2023 type performance for Victoire his team with most of his ineffective teammates in a match to do or die.
Each point of freedom in the fourth quarter was marked by Stewart. The star 6-4 seemed shocked not to know the feat when it was mentioned after the match.
“”[It’s] What you see from Stewie every night, “said Ionescu when he was asked to describe the almost heroic performance of Stewart.” I mean, nothing different. You know, its ability to do everything continues to shoot, pass, bounce, defend. I mean, one of the biggest to play the game, and she always plays there. So for me, it’s an honor to be able to look at what she does every day, how she gives the example, how I can have a player to admire, like her in my team and go to war with her every day. “”
Stewart scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth, using his elite length at the other end to arouse opportunities in attack.
The late takeover presented reversals, and 1, traction horsemen – you call it.
But it was not enough because the triple -double of Alyssa Thomas – 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists – and the summit of the Satou Sabally 23 points team and 12 rebounds were just enough to survive the reigning champions.
After Friday’s performance, Thomas now has five of the seven triple-doubles in the history of the WNBA qualifiers.
“To is incredible,” said Stewart. “I think that the way she really perfected her game like a nightmare on the whole field, whether bounced or do harm or relax. As, coming to Phoenix was probably one of the best decisions of her career, if you ask her, I just have the impression of using it incredibly well.”
Freedom, however, was fortunate to bind to three with 56.3 seconds remaining in regulation.
Natasha Cloud has launched an inbound pass for the Stewart Cup on the edge, but Thomas – the MVP candidate to do everything in Phoenix – failed the pass of the panel and in the hands of Natasha Mack.
Kahleah Copper then scored to put his team five with 32.8 seconds to play in regulation. It was the dagger that put the game out of reach. And he set up a series of second round between the Minnesota Lynx n ° 1 and the Mercury n ° 4.
Mercury fought during the four quarters while the Liberty started to be slow.
To start, it seemed that a team was aware of the match 3 of Friday was an elimination match while the other occurred as if it was a pre-season exhibition.
Phoenix dominated again in transition and won the Battle to throw franc in the first quarter, 10-2. He contributed to a 12-4 to finish the first while the Liberty dragged seven.
The mercury was faster with each rebound and 50-50 ball.
They closed possessions while freedom was urgently failed to refuse the Offensive rebounds opportunities of Phoenix. The disparity in the first half was obvious: 7-0 in favor of the mercury on the offensive glass. Finally, the mercury totaled eight offensive boards and 49 in total in match 3. The Liberty finished with 33 rebounds (two offensives).
Phoenix sought to take care of the second as they did during their dominant victory for match 2 in Brooklyn.
But Ionescu instructed his 12-point team in the second quarter to help his team enter the half-time of four, 45-41. She entered half-time with 14 points while Stewart contributed 14 of her own (eight in the second) while looking much better on the ground with an MCL sprain.
After half-time, Ionescu continued in the third with a 23-foot trey and layup that gave freedom their first advance since the first quarter. It did not last long due to Sabally’s free throws that put the Mercury opposite, 47-46, at 8:45 am. The period ensued with buckets on both sides and no one has set up a harmful race in the fourth.
After three quarters, the Liberty dragged, 60-59.
From there, everything depended on Stewart.
Emma Meesseman, the key van of mid-season of Liberty, was ineffective (zero point on three shots) in match 3 as if she had been for most of the first round series.
Jonquel Jones was called to a technical fault in match 3 when he seemed to be frustrated throughout the match. She finished with three points on a 1 in 10 shot to accompany eight rebounds. Aside from the 55 points combined with Stewart and Ionescu, the rest of the Liberty team scored only 21 points on 32 shots.
With most of his ineffective team, Stewart dominated his match against Dewanna Bonner. She has sworn to shoot a better performance than poor match 2 on Wednesday – and she did it.
It also made its promise.
But there was no one else looking for a seasonal rescue performance. Freedom is no longer champion.
The loss will sting.
And it will sting much longer if there is no WNBA 2026 season due to a lockout.
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