Mercury series: Liberty's necessary adjustments to secure a victory following Game 2's lackluster performance
New York Liberty Struggle in Game 2 Against Phoenix Mercury
The New York Liberty faced a tough loss in Game 2 of their WNBA Playoffs series against the Phoenix Mercury, with a final score of 86-60. The Liberty's performance was a caricature of their biggest problems all year, as they struggled to find their rhythm on the court.
In Game 2, the Liberty's starters were 10-38 from the field, and Sabrina Ionescu had a poor shooting performance, going 3-13 from the field, 1-8 from three, and missing her first four free throw attempts. The team also committed 15 turnovers, further hindering their chances of victory.
However, the Liberty scored more than 13 points in any individual quarter after the first quarter. They ended the game with 35 points, having been tied at 25 after the first quarter. Despite their offensive efforts, the Liberty were beaten on the glass yet again, missing 81 field goal attempts combined.
Jonquel Jones, the Mercury's star player, had a solid performance, scoring 7 points on 3-9 shooting and hauling in 13 rebounds. Jones has never led the Liberty to a loss when she records a double-double, a fact that did not change in Game 2.
Breanna Stewart, who had a six-point, three-turnover performance in Game 2 due to an injury on Sunday, stated that the team was embarrassed on their home court and needs to be ready for Game 3 in Phoenix. Liberty coach Sandy Brondello agreed, stating that Stewart needs two days of rest to hopefully come back stronger.
Brondello likes to harp on taking care of the ball and winning 50-50 opportunities as controllables. After the game, the Liberty insisted they are a better team than they showed and need to learn from their loss and bounce back stronger.
The winner-take-all Game 3 will be on Friday night in Phoenix at 9 p.m. ET. The Liberty will need to address their shooting woes and ball handling errors if they hope to secure a spot in the next round of the playoffs.
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