The New York Liberty had a chance to close out its first round series with a win against the Mercury on Wednesday, but it was not to be. The Mercury seized its second lead of the game at the start of the second quarter and didn't relinquish the advantage for the remainder of the game en route to an 86-60 blowout win at the Barclays Center, a victory that evened up the series at one game apiece before a winner-take-all Game 3.
And in a quiet Liberty locker room after the game, it was Breanna Stewart who had something to say to the team.
"The message is—'Everybody keep our heads up. This is a series,' " Stewart said she told the team. "And Phoenix is a tough team. They came in and they embarrassed us on our home court. Now we have to go back there for Game 3. Winner take all. If we're not ready for that, then we shouldn't be here."
It was a tough night offensively for the Liberty, who shot 30.2 percent from the field, struggled from three-point range and missed nine free throw attempts. New York missed 12 straight shots coming out of the half and didn't make its first field goal attempt of the second half until there were just under two minutes left in the third quarter. It was the worst home playoff loss in franchise history, according to ESPN.
Among the positives for the Liberty? Stewart, who is nursing an MCL sprain in her left knee that she suffered during the team's Game 1 win, was able to take the court after some doubt surrounding her status in the lead-up to the game. She played just 20 minutes, contributing six points, two rebounds and two assists while shooting 2-of-6 from the field. On the defensive end, Stewart said she noticed the Mercury were testing her to see how her knee responded, particularly with high-ball screens. Still, she was left disappointed with her overall play.
"I just wasn't where I wanted to be today," Stewart said. "And I have 48 hours to figure it out."
Stewart and the Liberty will take on the Mercury in the win-or-go-home game 3 on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Breanna Stewart Had Blunt Message for Liberty After Blowout Loss to Mercury.
