Postgame Notes: NYL 76, PHO 69
WNBA New York Liberty

Postgame Notes: NYL 76, PHO 69

Published on September 14, 2025 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


LIBERTY 76 | MERCURY 69

NEW YORK (1-0) | PHOENIX (0-1)

Sept. 14, 2025

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT1 FINAL

LIBERTY 17 27 11 10 11 76

MERCURY 13 30 14 8 4 69

GAME LEADERS NEW YORK PHOENIX

POINTS Cloud (23) Copper (15)

REBOUNDS Jones (12) Thomas (9)

ASSISTS Ionescu (7) Thomas (8)

KEY MILESTONES

Sandy Brondello became the second coach in WNBA history to win 40 playoff games.

Since 2023, the New York Liberty have won a league-leading three postseason games in overtime.

Tonight marked New York's league-leading 17th playoff game in which at least four players scored in double figures (Cloud: 23, Fiebich: 10, Ionescu: 16, and Stewart: 18) since 2023. The Liberty boast a .706 win percentage in those games.

New York held Phoenix without a made field goal for the first 7:16 of the second half for the second-longest stretch of game time without allowing a made field goal to begin a half in franchise postseason history, only behind Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals.

Six different Liberty players grabbed at least six rebounds, marking the first time in WNBA postseason history that six teammates recorded six or more rebounds in a single playoff game.

New York tied the team's franchise record for rebounds in a single postseason game with 48 and outrebounded Phoenix 48-31 for the second-largest rebounding differential in franchise postseason history (+17), only behind Game 4 of the 2024 Semifinals (+21).

Breanna Stewart scored 18 points as she passed Vickie Johnson to become the all-time leading scorer in Liberty postseason history with 415 points. Stewart passed Lindsay Whalen for sixth on the all-time postseason scoring list with 970 points and she grabbed six rebounds and a pair of steals. Stewart added four assists as she moved into sole possession of the fifth-most assists in Liberty postseason history with her 72nd. She also tied Sabrina Ionescu and Ring of Honor member Vickie Johnson for the most postseason games in New York Liberty history with a plus/minus of at least 16 with her sixth such game tonight.

Natasha Cloud scored a game-high 23 points with six rebounds, five assists and four steals while shooting 75% (9-for-12) from the field to set her high for made field goals in a Liberty uniform. Cloud recorded the seventh postseason game of 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in franchise history, and joined Breanna Stewart as the only players to do so while grabbing at least four steals. Cloud led all scorers with 13 points on 100% (5-for-5) shooting from the field before halftime, marking Cloud's most field goals made without a single miss before halftime in her postseason career. Cloud has made multiple three-pointers in each of her last four playoff games, the longest streak of her postseason career.

Sabrina Ionescu put up 16 points with seven assists, six rebounds and two rejections, which matches her career postseason high for blocks. Ionescu passed Candace Parker for 18th on the all-time postseason 3PM list with her 66th three-pointer and recorded her fourth career playoff game with at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists to move into sole possession of the most such games in Liberty postseason history.

Leonie Fiebich joined Maya Moore as the only players in WNBA history to exceed 25 postseason three-pointers in their first two WNBA seasons and ranks second behind Moore for playoff games with multiple threes by a player in their first two seasons with her ninth such performance. Finishing with 10 points (4-for-9 FG) and six rebounds, Fiebich is tied with Ring of Honor member Kym Hampton and Tamika Whitmore for the sixth-most qualifying games in New York Liberty playoff history (four).

Jonquel Jones dominated the glass with a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with seven points, two assists and three blocks. Jones grabbed her 150th postseason offensive rebound to pass Tamika Catchings for second on the all-time postseason offensive rebounding list. Jones joined Breanna Stewart as the only Liberty players in franchise history to record at least 10 playoff games with multiple blocks.

Emma Meesseman grabbed four rebounds in the opening quarter, marking her most rebounds in a single playoff quarter since the 2019 postseason, in which she won Finals MVP. Meesseman finished with eight rebounds off the bench, tied for the most rebounds by a Liberty reserve in a single postseason game since 2015.

Check out the New York Liberty Statistics

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