Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty FINAL Qtr Highlights [Aug. 18, 2025] | Women’s Basketball 2025

The closing minutes at Barclays Center on August 18 delivered everything you’d want from a late-season clash between two playoff contenders. Entering the fourth quarter, the Liberty clung to a slim three-point lead, but both teams traded haymakers in a frantic, high-scoring finish.

Sabrina Ionescu opened the frame with back-to-back threes, stretching New York’s lead to nine and igniting the home crowd. Phoenix responded behind Brittney Griner’s post dominance, feeding her on consecutive possessions for easy buckets and cutting the deficit back to a single possession. Diana Taurasi, in her 21st WNBA season, drilled a deep jumper from the left wing with 3:14 remaining to tie the game at 82-82.

From there the Liberty’s defense tightened. Betnijah Laney forced two key turnovers, leading to fast-break layups by Breanna Stewart. With under a minute left, Stewart sank a fadeaway jumper over Griner to push the lead to five. Phoenix still had a chance, but a missed corner three by Sophie Cunningham and a block by Jonquel Jones on Taurasi’s drive effectively sealed the outcome.

Ionescu finished with 28 points and 9 assists, while Stewart posted 22 and 11 rebounds. Griner led Phoenix with 24 points, and Taurasi added 18. The Liberty outscored the Mercury 27-18 in the fourth, closing out a 97-88 victory that kept them atop the Eastern Conference standings.

“We just dug in and got stops when we needed them,” Stewart said afterward. “Games like this sharpen you for the postseason.”

Despite the loss, the Mercury showed flashes of their veteran core clicking at the right time. “We’ll learn from it,” Griner noted. “We know we can play with anybody when we’re locked in.”

The dramatic final quarter underscored why both teams remain must-watch television heading into the stretch run of the 2025 WNBA season.