Liberty have no answers for Mercurys 3-point barrage in blowout loss

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.The Liberty and Mercury had a very different Friday night.The Liberty continued a four-game road trip with a visit to Phoenix.

For the Mercury, it was their first home game in 16 days.The Mercury, who entered the game fresh off a franchise-record 17 3-pointers in a road win last week, proceeded to top that performance with 18 Friday night in their 106-91 beatdown of the Liberty.“I think we’re all disappointed.I’m not speaking out of mind here,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said after the loss.

“These players are disappointed.And the only way we can go forward is what we do now moving forward.

We can’t change this result, but we’ve got to be better if we want to be one of the best teams.”While the Mercury were hot from start to finish, Liberty stars Breanna Stewart (17 points) and Sabrina Ionescu (nine points) struggled, especially early in the game.The pair started a combined 1-for-10 from the field in the first quarter and went into halftime 3-for-13.Stewart had five points, while Ionescu had three at the break.

Ionescu, who has been dealing with a nagging neck injury, did not look like herself.“She’s not 100 percent, but she’s still good to go,” Brondello said of Ionescu.“If she says she’s good to go, she’s good to go.

She’ll be OK.Sabrina, she is tough.

She didn’t show it today, but she’s tough.”Kennedy Burke and Marine Johannès, who each had 10 points off the bench, gave the Liberty an early lift, scoring 19 of the team’s 43 first-half points.Burke, Johannès, Nyara Sabally (14 points, six rebounds) and Isabelle Harrison (10 points) were a combined 11-for-13 from the field in the first half, while the rest of the team went 5-for-20.“It was just kind of the positions I was in,” Sabally said of her performance.“Also, in the second half coach Sandy told me all day just ...