PREVIEW: The Phoenix Mercury embark on a challenging five-game road trip with their first stop at the Barclays Center to face the New York Liberty, seeking to snap a two-game losing streak. The game marks the start of a tough journey for Phoenix, who are looking to maintain their second-place position in the Western Conference and have recently welcomed back key players Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and Lexi Held. Interestingly, the Mercury have already defeated the Liberty twice this season - once in a free-throw-heavy slugfest in New York and another in Phoenix where they dropped 106 points, including a franchise-record 18 made threes, with Sabally scoring 25 points and Alyssa Thomas dishing out 15 assists. The challenge is compounded by the Liberty's recent addition of two-time WNBA All-Star Emma Meesseman to an already formidable roster. The Liberty boast a well-balanced lineup with star power, featuring two-time MVP Breanna Stewart and three-point contest winner Sabrina Ionescu leading the scoring at 19.6 and 18.4 points per game respectively, alongside 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones. Their offensive prowess is evident, shooting from the outside better than any team in the league, with four rotation players shooting over 40% from deep, and backing it up with the league's second-best defense. Point guard Natasha Cloud will be a defensive catalyst, potentially with extra motivation after being traded from the Mercury in the offseason. While the Mercury face challenges with recently returned injured players, they believe forcing turnovers could make this a winnable game, and a victory could potentially apply mental pressure in a potential playoff matchup.