New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury Preview

The first-place New York Liberty will be facing off against the sixth-place Phoenix Mercury tonight.

The Liberty lost their last game against the Connecticut Sun 64-72. Breanna Stewart was the lead scorer in this game with just 15 points. However, she also had 15 rebounds, which gave her a double-double. Leonie Fiebich followed behind her with 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Lastly, Jonquel Jones had 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Mercury won their last game, 82-80, against the Atlanta Dream. It was a bit of a nail-biter, but they put it away in the end. Brittney Griner had a solid one with 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Diana Taurasi followed that with 18 points of her own. Lastly, star Kahleah Copper had 16 points and five rebounds, which is a bit low for her this season.

Can the Liberty have themselves a bounce-back game, or will the Mercury come out on top again?

Photo byRuslan RuslanonUnsplash

Game Details

Fixture: New York Liberty @ Phoenix Mercury

Date and Time: August 26th, 2024 @ 10:00 pm EST

Location: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ

Where to Watch: NBA TV - WNBA League Pass

New York Liberty Team Review

Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu both lead in scoring with 19.6 points per game. Stewart is also leading in steals with 1.9 per game and blocks with 1.4 per game. Ionescu leads in assists with 5.9 per game. Lastly, Jonquel Jones is leading in rebounds with 9.4 per game.

Stewart, Ionescu, and Jones make up a majority of the scoring that occurrs for New York. However, they have a decent bench that typically contributes in every game. However, this season, the top scorer of the game has mainly bounced between Stewart and Ionescu, especially in the last few weeks. Courtney Vandersloot has been a big help on the offense, with the second-highest assist average of 4.9 per game.

Phoenix Mercury Team Review

Kahleah Copper leads the Mercury in scoring with 22.9 points per game. Brittney Griner is leading in rebounds with 6.4 per game and blocks with 1.6. Natasha Cloud fills in the last two columns with 6.8 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game. This starting five has a very strong foundation.

Copper has had some great showings this season, pushing her team to the top in late-game moments. It's also clear that utilizing Griner is key as teams struggle heavily to cover her when she posts up or gets under the basket. Like the Liberty, Phoenix also has a decent bench that will show up in important games. This is key for them as Griner and Taurasi have both had some off games over the past week.

Who to Watch

New York Liberty

Kayla Thornton could be an interesting player in this game. She's only averaging 6.6 points per game off the bench, but she's had some big moments. She's had multiple 16-point and 20-point games this season. She put up 12 the last time she faced the Mercury, so a good performance from her today could help put them on top. Her assisting numbers aren't great, but she's been better on the boards in recent games.

Phoenix Mercury

Natasha Cloud has been a solid player for the Mercury. She has had some off games, scoring just four points in her last game, but she's also had some huge ones. Cloud scored 19 points last week against the Indiana Fever and a season-high 31 points against the Los Angeles Sparks last month. She's a big energy booster for the Mercury as she consistently plays fast and tosses out dimes to her teammates.

Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana