The New York Liberty could not come close to producing enough offense in a critical third-quarter stretch on Wednesday because the Phoenix Mercury turned up the defensive intensity in an 86-60 Game 2 road victory.

The result is a deciding Game 3 on Friday night when Phoenix hosts New York to conclude their first-round series.

The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx are waiting in the wings to face the New York-Phoenix winner after they swept the Golden State Valkyries.

Phoenix is attempting to advance to the second round for the first time since 2021 when it made a run to the WNBA finals as the fifth seed. New York just wants to avoid an abrupt end to its title defense.

Phoenix kept the series going by dominating most of Game 2. After an even opening quarter, the Mercury outscored the Liberty 61

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