NEW YORK, N.Y.— The defending WNBA champion New York Liberty will face the Phoenix Mercury in a decisive Game 3 on Friday, after New York took Game 1 in overtime on Sunday before Phoenix evened the series with a commanding 86-60 win on Wednesday.

With a trip to the semifinals on the line, the Liberty will need to bounce back quickly if they hope to keep their repeat bid alive. Here are a few storylines to watch as Sandy Brondello’s squad looks to send the Mercury packing.

Road warriors

In a surprising twist, the road team has taken both games in this best-of-three series— the Liberty stealing Game 1 in Phoenix before the Mercury kept their season going with a crucial win at Barclays Center.

During the regular season, the Liberty ranked right around the middle of the pack for road game

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