Yes, it’s the New York Liberty taking on the Phoenix Mercury, who are fighting to keep their chances alive. The last time these two teams met, it was chaos in the best possible way. The game had everything you could ask for. Former players turning up with revenge on their mind, stars going down with injuries, and the drama of it all spilling into overtime. It was the kind of matchup that kept fans glued till the very last second. Now, the stage shifts to Brooklyn. Game 2 of the series takes us to the Barclays Center.

Game 1 between these two teams really had it all. Natasha Cloud dropped 23 points on her former team to lift the Liberty past the Mercury 76-69 in overtime. But the extraordinary win ended with a sour twist. With just three minutes left, Breanna Stewart, after 40 minutes of play time, went down. She grabbed her left knee, turning a night of triumph into one filled with concern for New York.

Coach Sandy Brondello shared some relief after the scare, revealing that Breanna Stewart’s scans came back relatively clean. Still, her status for Game 2 will be a game-time decision. “She’s tough,” Brondello said. “I think one of her superpowers is her mental toughness, so if she’s able to go, she’ll go.”

Coach Nate Tibbetts, on the other hand, had a harder time digesting the Game 1 loss. He admitted that instead of immediately diving into film, he chose to spend time with his family and regroup. “I felt better after the game and watching it the next day,” Tibbetts said. For Game 2, he revealed that the Mercury are preparing for both scenarios: whether Breanna Stewart suits up or not.

Ahead of Game 2, here’s everything you need to know.

New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Where to watch

Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m ET
Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Watch on: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo

New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Injury report

Phoenix Mercury

• No players injured

New York Liberty

• Breanna Stewart – GAME TIME DECISION

Probable Starting Lineups

Phoenix Mercury

• Alyssa Thomas
• Natasha Mack
• Satou Sabally
• Kahleah Copper
• Monique Akoa Makani

New York Liberty

• Breanna Stewart/Isabelle Harrison
• Leonie Fiebich
• Jonquel Jones
• Natasha Cloud
• Sabrina Ionescu

Prediction: Can Mercury even the series

If Breanna Stewart is cleared to play Game 2, the Liberty will enter as clear favorites. Add to that the fact that they’re at home, where they hold a strong 17-5 record this season. But these are not the only two reasons why they will start the game as favorites. New York’s Big 3 of Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones have only started 13 games together all year due to injuries. The scary part? They’ve won every single one of those games. If all three suit up, it’s a nightmare scenario for the Mercury!

The Mercury, even though they aren’t the favorites, will badly need their own Big 3 of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, and Satou Sabally to step up. In Game 1, the trio combined for just 38 points, with Sabally struggling the most as she went 2-for-17 from the field and finished with only 9 points. But Coach Tibbetts isn’t worried. If anything, he’s backing her to bounce back strong. “That’s the beauty of Satou’s approach,” he said. “She’s got this new day mentality.”

When we dive into the numbers, the Liberty averaged 84.4 points per game in the regular season with an offensive rating of 105.8, ranking 5th in the league. Defensively, they posted a rating of 100.6, which slotted them 6th overall. The Mercury, on the other hand, put up 82.8 points per game with an offensive rating of 103.6, good for 7th in the league, while holding a defensive rating of 100.4.

Naturally, ESPN has the Liberty as clear favorites to close out the series, giving them a 75.7% chance. But stranger things have happened before in this sport, and so far, none of the teams that won Game 1 have been able to follow it up in Game 2. Can the Liberty break that trend?

One thing to keep an eye on is Breanna Stewart’s status. Without her, things could get tricky. The Liberty lost 8 of the 13 games she missed this season with a bone bruise. And when even one member of their “big three” is out, their record dips to a worrying 15–17. Definitely something to watch. Who do you think will win the game? Let us know in the comments down below!