Satou Sabally scored 25 points and the Phoenix Mercury broke the franchise mark for 3-pointers for the second straight game in a 106-91 win over the slumping New York Liberty on Friday night.
The Mercury, who made 17 3-pointers their last time out in a win over the Chicago Sky, rained 18 triples on the Liberty in 39 attempts. The shooting surge vaulted Phoenix (12-4) past New York (11-4) into second place in the WNBA standings.
Sabally tied her career high by making seven of her 10 3-point tries, and Sami Whitcomb drained 5 of 7 for 15 points. Alyssa Thomas put up 17 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds, Kitija Laksa scored 13 points and Kahleah Copper had 12 in her first home game of the season after recovering from knee surgery.
Breanna Stewart led six double-figure scorers for New York with 17 points. Natasha Cloud had 14 points and seven assists for the Liberty, who have lost four of six following a 9-0 start.
Sabrina Ionescu, in her second game back from a neck injury, had nine points and seven assists. Ionescu tallied six early points in the fourth quarter as the Liberty, who trailed by as many as 19 points, whittled the margin to 13.
Sabally answered by hitting Phoenix’s 17th 3-pointer with 6:04 to play. At the 3:50 mark, she pulled up and hit the team’s 18th of the night to rewrite the record.
Nyara Sabally, Satou’s sister, had 16 points for the Liberty. Isabelle Harrison, Kennedy Burke and Marine Johannes added 10 apiece.
Whitcomb canned a trey to give Phoenix its first double-digit lead 6:05 into the game at 17-7. The Liberty drew within four points before the Mercury finished the quarter with a flourish. Late in the shot clock, Satou Sabally made a tough pass out to Kathryn Westbeld, who hoisted up a 3-pointer and connected for a 28-19 Phoenix lead.
Whitcomb kept it rolling with another triple on Phoenix’s first possession of the second quarter. Thomas assisted on three straight baskets in a Mercury flurry, and Laksa’s 3-pointer put them ahead 42-24 and prompted a Liberty timeout.
Johannes poured in three 3-pointers to guide the Liberty back, but Phoenix built a 61-43 advantage by halftime.
The teams went bucket for bucket throughout a fast-paced third quarter with both sides scoring 27. Stewart and Cloud racked up 10 points apiece for New York, but Satou Sabally went 3-for-3 from the arc over the final 3:53 of the period.
–Field Level Media
