The Phoenix Mercury’s struggles continued Wednesday night in Brooklyn as the New York Liberty used a devastating third-quarter run to hand Phoenix an 84-74 loss at Barclays Center. The defeat marked the Mercury’s fourth straight loss and dropped Phoenix to 2-6 on the young 2026 WNBA season.

For much of the night, the Mercury looked capable of stealing a road win against a Liberty team missing key contributors Sabrina Ionescu and former Mercury star Satou Sabally. Phoenix even built momentum early in the second half before everything unraveled during one brutal stretch that completely changed the game.

New York closed the third quarter on a stunning 23-0 run that turned a six-point Mercury advantage into a double-digit Liberty lead entering the fourth quarter. The Liberty defense tightened dramatically, forcing turnovers and converting transition opportunities while Phoenix went ice cold offensively.

Marine Johannès led New York with 21 points and knocked down seven three-pointers in one of her best performances of the season. Jonquel Jones added 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Breanna Stewart provided her usual steady presence for the Liberty as New York snapped its own three-game losing streak.

Phoenix once again showed flashes offensively but struggled to maintain consistency for four quarters. Kahleah Copper continued to be one of the Mercury’s top offensive weapons this season, while Alyssa Thomas once again contributed across the board with scoring, playmaking, and leadership. Rookie guard Jovana Nogic also remained one of the few bright spots for Phoenix, continuing her impressive shooting start to the season.

The biggest issue for Phoenix was turnovers and offensive execution during New York’s game-changing surge. The Mercury committed seven turnovers in the third quarter alone, allowing the Liberty to completely seize momentum in front of the Barclays Center crowd.

Defense has become a growing concern for Phoenix during this losing streak. After building a reputation last season as one of the WNBA’s toughest defensive teams during their run to the Finals, the Mercury have struggled to consistently get stops in 2026. Opponents have repeatedly capitalized on breakdowns during critical stretches, and Wednesday night was another example.

The loss also carried emotional undertones because of Satou Sabally’s offseason departure from Phoenix to New York. Sabally was unavailable Wednesday, but her move to the Liberty remains one of the major storylines surrounding the Mercury’s early-season struggles after last year’s Finals appearance.

Phoenix now faces mounting pressure to stop the slide before the standings begin slipping away even further. The Mercury entered the season with championship expectations after last year’s deep playoff run, but inconsistency on both ends of the floor has quickly become a concern.

​Despite the disappointing result, the Mercury did show stretches of competitive basketball against one of the league’s most talented rosters. The challenge moving forward will be finding consistency for an entire 40 minutes rather than allowing one disastrous quarter to define the night.

Past Mercury Articles: 
Atlanta Dream Storm Back to Defeat Phoenix Mercury 82-80 in Heartbreaking Collapse  
Phoenix Mercury Fall to Sparks After Costly Second Quarter Collapse 

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