WNBA Recaps: Liberty and Mercury Cap Slate Ahead of World Cup Break

Saturday’s two-game WNBA slate saw New York deliver a physical defensive clinic at home, while Phoenix closed out its pre-break schedule with a dominant 32-point blowout in the desert.

New York Liberty 85, Chicago Sky 66

New York set the tone early at Barclays Center, holding Chicago to 11 points in the opening quarter and just 28 points in the first half. The Liberty’s secondary unit outscored Chicago’s reserves 40–16, marking New York’s largest positive bench scoring differential of the season. New York pulled down 36 defensive rebounds and finished with a 44–29 overall rebounding advantage, limiting Chicago to single-shot possessions throughout the second half. 

Han Xu had a career-high 19 points in just 17 minutes to lead five Liberty players in double figures.

Phoenix Mercury 101, Toronto Tempo 69

Phoenix shot 52.2% from the floor at Footprint Center, eclipsing the 100-point mark in a 32-point rout over Toronto. Phoenix’s rotation pushed the pace in transition, building a comfortable double-digit advantage by halftime and holding the expansion Tempo to just 69 points.

Playoff Implications Heading into the FIBA Break

• Middle-Tier Seeding Shift: New York’s victory moves them to 24–16, keeping them in tight contention with Indiana and Washington for top-four hosting privileges in the first round.
• Elimination Line Standardized: With Chicago falling to 15–25 and Toronto dropping to 11–28, both clubs remain locked out of the eight-team postseason field as the league pauses for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.