The 2025 WNBA semifinals are set, as the Phoenix Mercury beat the New York Liberty, 79-73. In another fast-paced, physical Game 3 that came down to the wire, the Mercury defeated the defending WNBA champions to move on to face the Minnesota Lynx in the next round.
With emotions running high, and the urgency of the game off the charts, it was a defensive battle as both teams missed shots and racked up turnovers. But the offensive star of the night was Alyssa Thomas: The Phoenix guard, who already owns more than 40% of the triple-doubles in WNBA history, earned her fifth career playoff triple-double on Friday, scoring 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
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New York had pulled off the Game 1 win in Phoenix, behind an incredible game from Natasha Cloud. But in Brooklyn for Game 2, it was the Mercury who pulled off a calm, orderly rout to send the series to Game 3. And in the return to Phoenix, the Mercury came out on top again.
After getting thrashed on Wednesday, New York started the game a bit better, forcing back-to-back turnovers in the first minute and holding Phoenix without a field goal for more than four minutes. But then the Mercury started moving, going up by as many as 12 points in the first half. Phoenix continued to hold strong, even as the Liberty started to regain its footing to close in on the lead.
But at the start of the second half, New York kept the momentum going, eventually pulling to a one-point lead after the first few minutes of the third quarter. The two teams stayed close throughout the third, trading leads and picking up some unexpected fouls — including one that baffled the broadcasters, with Kahleah Copper pushing Cloud into Sabrina Ionescu. (Ionescu ended up being the one who was awarded three free throws, which she hit.)
But the defense from both teams stayed relentless, cutting off shots and forcing turnovers: Phoenix ended with 12 turnovers in total, while New York ended with 10.
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In the fourth quarter, as the Liberty kept the Mercury from building a substantial lead, every single point made a difference. Breanna Stewart (who at one point in the series feared to be out with an MCL sprain) made several key contested baskets in the final minutes, drawing multiple and-ones.
But Phoenix wasn’t done yet. With just over a minute, Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner made a crucial jumper that bounced off the rim just before the shot clock expired, pulling it back to a two-possession game.
A couple of costly fouls against Phoenix gives the Liberty the chance to tie up the game, but Thomas broke up an inbound pass to force another turnover, allowing Kahleah Cooper to pull off a tough contested finish.
Down by five, New York had one more chance to push back, but Sabrina Ionescu’s last-second three-pointer fell short, and Phoenix immediately began to celebrate the win.
This story will be updated.
