BROOKLYN—The New York Liberty’s luck went dry against visitors from the desert.
Reeling from an early medically-induced departure for Jonquel Jones, the Liberty dropped an 89-81 decision to the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night at Barclays Center. Undrafted rookie Monique Akoa Makani put up a 21-point breakout while Alyssa Thomas fell three assists short of a triple-double with 18 tallies and 15 boards.
With Jones leaving early in the second quarter due to an ankle injury, the Liberty (10-2) fell for the second time in three games and for the first time at home since the opening game of last fall’s WNBA Finals.
Breanna Stewart had 35 points in defeat while Natasha Cloud had 10 assists. Sabrina Ionescu’s streak of 30-point games came to an end at two, as she scored 16 but needed 16 tries from the field to get there.
The Liberty will now embark on a four-game road trip, one that tips off on Sunday evening against the Seattle Storm (7 p.m. ET, WWOR).
