On Tuesday, the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty made history.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Both teams combined to go 33-of-72 from 3-point range — marking the most combined 3-pointers made in a single game. The previous record was set during Liberty versus Aces on July 6, 2022 — when both teams combined for 31 triples.
This isn’t uncharacteristic by either the Mercury or Liberty — as both teams sit amongst the top-three highest volume shooting teams in the WNBA. Although this record will likely be broken once again in the near future, Phoenix versus New York was decided from beyond the arc. Or was it?
Both teams shot the lights out on Tuesday, but it was Phoenix’s grit and resilience down the stretch that powered it over one of the league’s juggernauts.
“I think one thing we’re finding out is that we have the ability to be a good team, but we’re also gritty,” said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts following the win. “That’s a good characteristic to have if you want to be a good team.”
“I know collectively as a group, we’re really up about this win just because everyone feels that they sort of contributed,” Mercury wing Bec Allen said. “On the defensive end, we were really locking down, making sure we try to run them off the line in that sense.”
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Down the stretch, it just seemed like the Mercury were playing with a different sense of urgency. Consistently nagging ball-handlers and getting shooters out of their spots hurt New York. That gritty, scrappy play was ultimately the deciding factor for Phoenix.
Not many players in the league embody the same grit and passion that Mercury guard Sug Sutton plays with on a nightly basis — let alone backup guards. Sutton was praised after the game for her unrelenting defense and the contagious energy plays that she made.
“Being a backup point guard is not always the easiest job… Sug [Sutton] has to come in and make an impact in her 10 to 14 to 16 minutes,” said Tibbetts. “Her energy, I thought she really turned up her defense in the second half, really challenged Sabrina [Ionescu]. But those [3-pointers], I pointed it out after the game to the group, what she did was huge for our win.”
Phoenix Mercury overcome New York Liberty in a historic shootout on Tuesday
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
