The Phoenix Mercury’s Game 2 upset over the New York Liberty came down to three key factors. First, New York’s defense faltered whenever Sabrina Ionescu and Emma Meesseman were on the floor together. Second, Phoenix kept the Liberty guessing with a shape-shifting defensive scheme. And third, New York never managed to consistently exploit the matchups in their favor. Still, in the post-game press conference, it wasn’t really the game Satou Sabally wanted to highlight in the post-game press conference!

No, it wasn’t about any player, but the silent NY Liberty crowd, which seemed a bit off. As Kahleah put it better, “Honestly, I was shocked. I don’t think it was loud to start. I don’t know. I was shocked. I was expecting to like have to deal with some crowd, of course our people. It was quiet.” And no, she’s not exaggerating, as even Sabally, who was traded to the Mercury by the Wings during the offseason, seemed to agree.

So, when she was asked about how excited she was to play the deciding game at Mercury’s home arena in front of the X-Factor, Sabally once again shifted focus to Game 2. “Loud, louder than here,” she said, and Copper got the pun immediately. “You said, you know what? It will be lit. I love playing in Phoenix. They will stay till the end of the game. Today, you looked in the stands—they were already leaving a little bit. Our fans will never leave… it’s different, it’s different,” added Kahleah, explaining the energetic crowd at Mercury arenas and the clear difference from the Liberty’s.

No doubt, she’s right, one of the X-Factors is always the most passionate and loudest crowds in the W. But Barclays Center also saw an attendance of over 17K, which is more than the attendance present at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 2. Still, Indy fans made waves. They motivated the team with loud cheers and turned the home arena into an advantage for the Fever, a team that was already knee-deep in misfortune due to five season-ending injuries.

And this is something even the opponent team’s head coach admitted. “They packed the house,” Dream HC Karl Smesko expressed in a post-game press conference when asked if the crowd impacted the third quarter. “They were really loud. That gives them home-court advantage… Today was kind of just an off day.”

Home crowd energy can make or break the rhythm of a game. Yet in the Liberty’s matchup against the Mercury, the spotlight fell on how unusually quiet the arena was. That silence stood out, especially with the Liberty, one of the league’s top teams, chasing another championship. The game itself may have played a role. After a 26-26 tie in the first quarter, Phoenix pulled away as five players hit double figures, while New York had only one. By the third, the Mercury led by 22 and never looked back. Perhaps the fans weren’t eager to watch their team collapse, but there’s still more to unpack behind Sabally’s remarks.

X Factor is ready to shake Liberty soon!

When Cheryl Miller, Mercury’s former HC and GM, coined the name X-Factor for fans, it was for a reason. The crowd just multiplies every time Mercury is on home court. And that’s something even one of the league’s biggest stars admitted when she came to town with her team. “It’s a healthy basketball environment,” Angel Reese had said. “These are just straight basketball fans. You don’t hear negativity. Obviously, fans are gonna be fans as far as they want to cheer for their own team, but I feel the love here.”

If the league is celebrating its attendance record this season after drawing more than 2.5 million fans, a huge chunk of it goes to Mercury’s die-hard fans, too.

“I’ve had season tickets since 2000,” Hannah Dunigan told AZ Central on Second Street outside the arena after the game. “I haven’t missed a game in like 24 years, something like that.” While most people connected the bond between Mercury and X-Factor to the duo of former teammates Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, even after Griner’s trade and Taurasi’s retirement, the crowd still shows up.

And that makes them one of the most loyal and loudest crowds across the WNBA even now. So, you know, when Sabally shared that Game 3 will be the loudest, she really meant it. Now, it’s a warning for Liberty—that as Mercury fans show up, Mercury will serve them too. They’re at 1-1 in the Round 1 playoff series as of now, with the next game in Mercury’s home court. Let’s see what happens!