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Heading into the WNBA postseason, there was a lot of discussion about how much the new 1-1-1 first-round format (which means that the higher-seeded team plays at home in Games 1 and 3, with the latter only being if necessary) would impact the outcome of each series.
If anything, most felt like it would add an advantage for the lower-seeded team, given that they were guaranteed a home playoff game. And this has indeed been the case for almost every playoff series — except the matchup between the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty, given that the road team has won each of the first two games in this series.
The Liberty beat the Mercury in Phoenix in overtime on September 14. But New York star Breanna Stewart playing through an MCL sprain in her left knee during Game 2 ultimately didn’t keep the Mercury from routing the Liberty on their home court, as Phoenix produced an emphatic 86-60 win on September 17.
Phoenix Mercury Stars Throw Shade at New York Liberty Fans After Playoff Win
Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, New York, held 17,017 fans on Wednesday. However, Mercury standouts Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally asserted that these fans didn’t make much of an impact during their Game 2 win.
When speaking with the media after the game, Copper said of the environment, “Honestly, I was shocked. I don’t think it was loud to start. I don’t know. I was shocked. I was expecting us to have to like, deal with some courtside people. It was quiet,” per an X post from @WNBAonCLNS.
Later on in the postgame presser, Satou Sabally was asked what it’s gonna be like to play a series-deciding game at home in front of Phoenix fans, and she said, “Loud. Louder than here.”
She later said, “The vibe [in Phoenix] is unmatched… Today, when you looked in the stands, they were already leaving a little bit. Our fans would never leave. They’re there, they’re backing us up, they’re talking from the sidelines. It’s different. It’s different.”
Kahleah Copper says she thought the Liberty crowd was quiet tonight:
“Honestly I was shocked I don’t think it was loud to start. I don’t know. I was shocked … It was quiet.”
Satou Sabally on playing Game 3 in Phoenix: “Louder than here … the vibe is unmatched.”(via @WNBA) pic.twitter.com/snyvCWolkH
— WNBA Today on CLNS (@WNBAonCLNS) September 18, 2025
This sentiment is surely going to irk many Liberty fans, especially those in attendance during Wednesday’s game. However, they aren’t going to get the chance to right this wrong against Phoenix, given that Friday’s Game 3 will be the final one in this series.
But if the defending WNBA champions can secure another road win and advance to the WNBA Semifinals, one would imagine that their fans will respond to this trash talk in a big way during their next opportunity.
