The Phoenix Mercury claimed the fourth and final spot in the semifinals of the 2025 WNBA playoffs with a dramatic 79-73 win over the reigning champion New York Liberty in the winner-take-all Game 3 of their first-round series. The Mercury will now face the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

The Phoenix Mercury have claimed the final spot in the semifinals of the 2025 WNBA playoffs. The No. 4 seed Mercury defeated the No. 5 seed New York Liberty, 79-73, in Game 3 on Friday at PHX Arena, ending the defending champions dreams of repeating.

The Phoenix Mercury began playing in 1997, and over the years, they had good wins over another team whose origins date back to that year.

Brittney Griner helped the Atlanta Dream set a franchise record with 30 wins, finishing 30-14 and earning the No. 3 seed in the WNBA playoffs. But despite being heavy favorites against a Caitlin Clark -less Indiana Fever, Griner’s first season in Atlanta ended with a 2-1 series loss in the opening round.

Minnesota entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after being the WNBA's most dominant team throughout the 44-game regular season. The Lynx, looking for the fifth championship in team history and their first since 2017, will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Breanna Stewart's friends and foes alike are joining year two of Unrivaled, the league co-founded by the New York Liberty star. The latest batch of Unrivaled re

The Liberty’s title defense ended early. In a winner-take-all Game 3 in the first round in Phoenix, the Liberty attempted to claw back on Friday after falling into an early hole, but they eventually succumbed to the Mercury, 79-73.