The New York Liberty’s title defense starts now.
The No. 5 seed Liberty tipoff the 2025 WNBA playoffs with a first-round matchup against the No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury Sunday, and unlike New York’s 2024 championship run that ended with the team claiming its first title in franchise history, the Liberty won’t have home-court advantage this postseason.
Advertisement
New York has a losing record on the road this season (10-12), including a pair of losses to the Mercury, who made 18 3-pointers in a win over the Liberty on June 25 at PHX Arena. (The Mercury are 15-7 at home.) The Liberty have navigated a string of injuries to their superstar trio of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, but New York’s Big 3 are available heading into the postseason.
“Experience is the thing that you fall back on when the going gets tough and things aren’t going your way. It’s what brings the team back together, because you have a sense of awareness of what’s coming,” said Stewart, who had 24 points to close the season against the Chicago Sky on Sept. 11. “The playoffs are an emotional roller-coaster, emotionally and physically. So to have that experience… is really important going forward.”
MORE: Alyssa Thomas is making her strongest MVP case yet. Will Mercury forward break through?
The Liberty will be tasked with slowing down MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas, who set a single-season record with eight triple-doubles this season. Her eight triple-doubles surpassed the previous record (six) she set in 2023 in Connecticut. No other player in WNBA history has more than four in a career.
Advertisement
Here’s everything you need to know about the Liberty-Mercury game on Sunday:
What time is New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury?
The Minnesota Lynx host the Golden State Valkyries at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) on Sunday, Sept. 14 at PHX Arena in Phoenix. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
How to watch New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury: TV, stream
-
Time: 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
-
Location: PHX Arena (Phoenix)
-
Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)
Mercury vs. Liberty WNBA Playoffs schedule
-
Game 1: Liberty at Mercury, 2 p.m. ET Sunday (ESPN)
-
Game 2: Mercury at Liberty, 8 p.m. ET Wednesday (ESPN)
-
Game 3: Liberty at Mercury, TBD Friday (ESPN2)
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liberty open playoffs against Mercury: How to watch
