Liberty Triumphs Again in Front of Packed Home Crowd
Published on May 29, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release
NEW YORK - The New York Liberty (5-4) earned a second consecutive victory over the Phoenix Mercury (2-7), 75-68, in front of a sellout crowd of 17,579 fans.
Pauline Astier led the Liberty with 16 points, six assists and a career-high six rebounds while shooting 75 percent (6-for-8) from the field. Astier became the third rookie in WNBA history to record at least 12 points, six rebounds and six assists while shooting 75 percent from the field and finishing with two or fewer turnovers, and both previous players to do so went on to win Rookie of the Year. She also scored her 100th career point in the WNBA, becoming the fourth Liberty rookie since 2000 to reach 100 career points in fewer than 10 games.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton paced the Liberty reserves with 13 points off the bench while shooting 50 percent (3-for-6) from the field and adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Han Xu set season highs with nine points and six rebounds off the bench while shooting 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from the field and 50 percent (1-for-2) from deep.
Jonquel Jones put up nine points and a team-high nine rebounds along with two assists, two blocks and a steal. Jones recorded multiple blocks for the 35th time in a Liberty uniform, the sixth-most multi-block games by any player in Liberty franchise history. Marine Johannès connected on a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter to set the franchise record for 3-pointers through the first nine games of a season (29). Johannès surpassed Sabrina Ionescu's record from 2023, when she went on to set the WNBA single-season record with 128 made threes.
The Liberty connected on four 3-pointers in the first quarter and held Phoenix to 27.8 percent (5-for-18) shooting from the field to take a 17-11 lead after the first. New York went on a 14-6 run from 6:31 to 1:17 and outrebounded Phoenix 15-8 in the first quarter, tying the Liberty's highest rebounding total in any quarter since June 6, 2024. The Liberty defense continued to limit Phoenix in the second quarter, with the Mercury finishing the first half shooting just 29 percent (9-for-31) from the field and 20 percent (2-for-10) from 3-point territory. New York put up 15 bench points in the first half and entered the break with a 34-31 lead. The Mercury's 31 points before halftime tied the team's season low for points in a single half, previously set in the second half against New York on Monday.
The Liberty went on an 8-0 run from 5:16 to 3:38 in the third quarter and held Phoenix to 18.8 percent (3-for-16) shooting from long range through three quarters to enter the final frame with a 59-54 advantage. New York's defense continued to shut down the Mercury, with Phoenix shooting just 30.8 percent (4-for-13) from the field in the fourth and scoring just two points in the paint. The Liberty overcame an 8-0 Phoenix run from 4:46 to 3:35 in the fourth to close out a 75-68 win and clinch the season series over Phoenix. New York finished with a season-high 40 rebounds, outrebounding the Mercury by 17 in the win. This marks the first time since June 17, 2025 that four Liberty players recorded six or more rebounds in a single game.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 29, 2026
- Dominant Defense Leads Dream to Road Victory - Atlanta Dream
- Sky Lose at Home to Lynx, 58-79 - Chicago Sky
- Postgame Notes: MIN vs CHI (5.29.26) - Minnesota Lynx
- Liberty Triumphs Again in Front of Packed Home Crowd - New York Liberty
- Game Preview: Valkyries vs. Las Vegas Aces - 5/31/26 - Golden State Valkyries
- Game Preview: Fever at Fire - Indiana Fever
- Golden State Postgame Notes: Valkyries 90, Fever 88 - Golden State Valkyries
- Indiana Fever Fall at Golden State Valkyries - Indiana Fever
- Aces Shooting Goes Cold in Fourth, Fall 95-87 on the Road to Dallas - Las Vegas Aces
- Veronica Burton Records Season-High 25 Points, Five Blocks in Thrilling Victory over Fever - Golden State Valkyries
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
