“I’m proud of how we responded after a tough loss in Game 1,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said postgame. “I didn’t think that there were any heads down, or [that] we felt sorry for ourselves.”

Coming from the same coach who claimed that “no one picked them to win this series” after Game 1, it’s clear that he and his Mercury players had plenty of fuel to deliver one of their most convincing performances of the season.

However, it didn’t start that way. With less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter, New York was leading 16-10, with Phoenix looking somewhat sloppy on the offensive end, only shooting 30% from the field. But as we’ve seen so many times with this Mercury team, they went on a run, closing out the quarter with the game tied at 25. Then, the second quarter happened.

A second-quarter explosion, a third-quarter encore

To say that the second quarter was “all Mercury” would be an understatement. A nearly flawless display on both ends of the court found the Mercury on a 24-5 run at one point during the quarter, sucking the life out of what’s usually a raucous Barclays Center crowd.

What had previously been a tightly fought, back-and-forth affair through the first five quarters of the series suddenly unraveled, as the balance tipped entirely in Phoenix’s favor – the matchup transforming into a one-sided showcase.

“They just went to a different level, and we didn’t,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “We found it really hard to score, and on multiple plays, their physicality, their congestion, everything … we just got to stay quick with our processes and not forget when we’re at our best, what it looks like.”

The Liberty ended the second quarter with a run of their own to pull things to a closer, 14-point deficit going into halftime. With a chance to regroup and carry that momentum into the third quarter, Phoenix had other plans. Instead of playing conservatively to protect their lead, the Mercury pushed their foot on the gas – going on a 10-2 run to begin the third.

In the game’s final three quarters, the Mercury nearly doubled the Liberty’s scoring, 61-35.

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Satou Sabally takeover

After shooting 2-of-17 in Game 1, Mercury forward Satou Sabally’s Game 2 bounce-back was the game’s most intriguing individual performance. She tied with Alyssa Thomas for the most points in the game (15), including seven consecutive points to kick off Phoenix’s dominant second quarter. Her efficiency improved from 11.8 percent in Game 1 to 45.5 percent in Game 2.

“If you haven’t had a game like that, then you haven’t been playing at the highest level,” Thomas said. “We have the utmost confidence in her, and we knew that she was going to come out and do her thing tonight.”

Sabally added, “I’m a great player, and I know that game was not who I am … I just knew coming in it’s not going to happen again.”

Phoenix ended with five players in double figures (Sabally, Thomas, Kahleah Copper, DeWanna Bonner and Kathryn Westbeld), which improves the team’s record to 14-0 when that happens.

“That’s a hell of a stat. I like that,” Tibbetts said. “I think you just always want balance. Typically, teams with good players have balance, and tonight, to get it across the board like we did was very important.”

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Lockdown defense leading to fast pace

In Game 1, Phoenix looked at its best when it got out in transition, but ultimately had that advantage neutralized due to how many extra possessions New York secured with its rebounding control.

In Game 2, the Mercury were able to achieve a much better balance on defense to fully control the pace of the game. They outscored the Liberty in transition 20-2, forcing 15 turnovers, 10 of which were steals. Sabally’s four steals were only one less than the entire New York roster.

“When we rebound and guard, we can go. That’s when AT is at her best…,” Tibbetts said. “…When she’s leading the break, and we’ve got shooters around her, it puts a lot of pressure on the other team.”

What had been a Liberty strength in Game 1, dictating the glass and tempo, was completely reversed, with Phoenix suffocating New York into mistakes and turning them into easy buckets the other way. The Mercury’s defense-to-offense harmony was a force the Liberty simply could not escape.

“Our turnovers led to those easy baskets in transition,” Brondello said. “So that’s something we’ve spoken about – we just have to be a little bit more disciplined there. We’re taking the ball out of the basket a fair bit, so that slowed us in our pace to get down there.”

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Championship adjustments

The Liberty’s championship experience was a huge factor in Game 1, as their poise in overtime ultimately won them the game. But in Game 2, it was the Mercury’s own championship-tested veterans who flipped the script.

Copper, a former Finals MVP, delivered her usual scoring output with 14 points on efficient shooting, but where she truly made her mark was on the defensive end. After Liberty guard Natasha Cloud erupted for a game-high 23 points with Copper as her primary defender in Game 1, Copper tightened the screws in Game 2, holding Cloud to just eight points while hounding her all night.

“I’m a competitor, I want to get after it. I’m from North [Philly],” Copper said. “Just watching the film, I think our coaches challenged me … seeing me not get over screens, not be close enough, just make the adjustment.”

Meanwhile, Bonner, who was playing in her WNBA-leading 89th career playoff game, had a steady presence to aid in the Mercury’s control of the game. She finished with the highest plus-minus in the game’s box score (plus-29), while also scoring 14 points on 66 percent efficiency – all of this happening in only 21 minutes off the bench.

Together, Copper and Bonner’s adjustments turned Phoenix’s response from hopeful to decisive – proof that a championship pedigree doesn’t just belong to New York.

Going forward

New York now has to travel to Phoenix for the decisive Game 3, with the momentum completely on the other side following yesterday’s lopsided contest. In the Liberty’s 2024 championship run, they never had to go on the road following a home loss. The X-Factor will be rocking.

“[It’s going to be] loud. Louder than here,” Sabally joked. “It will be lit. I love playing in Phoenix, the vibe is unmatched … they’re backing us up, they’re talking from the sideline, it’s different.”

However, one thing that will be similar to New York’s 2025 experience will be battling through injury. Star forward Breanna Stewart tried playing through the left MCL sprain she suffered in Game 1, but the injury had an obvious effect on her. Stewart finished with just six points in 20 minutes. Now, with only one day of rest before Game 3 on Friday, New York will have to once again adapt to potentially not being at full strength.

“Stew is tough. She did what she could there,” Brondello said. “And hopefully, we know she’s going to be a little bit better. But I suppose the physicality was hard for her.”

With the series tied at 1-1, the Liberty enter Game 3 with their backs against the wall, facing a hostile Phoenix crowd and a Mercury team brimming with confidence.