The New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury will meet for the second time in three days when they face off Friday night in New York.

For the Mercury (2-6), the goal is snapping a losing streak that is now at four games after an 84-74 loss to the Liberty (4-4) on Wednesday.

Team unity is key for the Mercury in getting back on track, according to Natasha Mack, who tied her career-high of 14 points in the team’s latest loss and is optimistic despite the tough stretch.

“We just have to stick together and continue building on what we’re doing now,” Mack told reporters afterward. “It’s getting better. We see it. But we just have to give a little bit more.”

The Liberty are coming off a much-needed win to avoid their first 3-5 start since 2022. A franchise-record 23-0 run in the third quarter was key in ending a three-game losing streak.

New York knows it will be tough to duplicate that success a second time against Phoenix.

“They’re going to come out with a little bit more intensity. They’re going to be a little more focused,” New York’s Jonquel Jones said after the win. “So, we have to also take it to another level, but it does feel good to be in the win column. And to play the right way, like win the right way. Not just going out there and things kind of luckily happening in the right way for us.”

Jones finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double.

Marine Johannes led the Liberty with 21 points and five assists, hitting a career-best seven 3-pointers and reaching the 1,000-point mark for her career. She’s averaging 12.6 points per game.

Her effort was big, especially with Sabrina Ionescu out with back soreness. Ionescu has played in only one game this year.

Kahleah Copper poured in 19 points to lead the Mercury and is now 10th all-time in scoring in Phoenix history with 1,370 points. Cooper is averaging 18.8 points per contest.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Sparks were beginning to show signs of recovery from a slow start, only to see Kelsey Plum injure her ankle.

The Sparks will be without Plum for at least a week and hope they can find enough offense to compensate for the WNBA’s top scorer Friday night when they visit the Washington Mystics in a matchup of .500 teams.

Plum sprained her ankle in practice on Tuesday. Since she will not get revaluated until next Tuesday, she’ll also miss Saturday’s game at Connecticut and possibly Tuesday’s visit from Las Vegas. Plum has scored at least 25 in five games so far and leads the league at 26.8 points per game.

Los Angeles (3-3) is playing for the first time since Plum scored 38 points, including 24 in the second half, during Saturday’s 101-95 win at the Aces. Plum shot 12 for 17 and had nine assists, leading her coach Lynne Roberts to call her night “the most unselfish 38 points I’ve ever seen.

“But everybody, I could go down the whole roster,” Roberts said. “Just a total team win. Really proud of just the toughness.”

Los Angeles has scored at least 95 points in four straight games after opening the season with losses to Las Vegas and Indiana.

Without Plum, the Sparks are hoping Nneka Ogwumike can return after missing Saturday’s game with a hand injury. Ogwumike is averaging 15.6 points to start her second stint with the Sparks and practiced earlier this week.

The Sparks will also lean more on Dearica Hamby (18.5 ppg). She contributed 16 on Saturday after getting 27 two days earlier.

Washington (3-3) is attempting to earn consecutive victories for the first time in the early going. After losing by a combined 35 points to Dallas and Seattle, the Mystics earned a 78-64 win at Seattle on Wednesday.

The Mystics held the Storm to 34.9% shooting, marking the third time they allowed below 40%.

“I think (Wednesday) was a reflection of the players’ commitment to the Mystics and our DNA,” Washington coach Sydney Johnson said.

Washington also won despite a quiet showing from leading scorer Sonia Citron, who averages 17.2 points but was held to seven points for the second time in three games.

Without Citron’s production, the Mystics benefited from a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds from Shakira Austin. The Mystics also integrated Michaela Onyenwere into their lineup after the forward missed the first four games with a knee injury; she contributed 14 points.

–Field Level Media

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson broke his right pinky finger earlier this week and there is no timetable for his return, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

The Knicks are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, beginning Wednesday against the winner of the Western Conference finals. Oklahoma City plays Thursday night against host San Antonio with a 3-2 lead on the Spurs in the best-of-seven series.

Robinson, 28, had eight points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes in the Knicks’ 130-93 win over the host Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 on Monday to sweep their way to the Eastern Conference championship.

It is unclear how and when Robinson was injured, per the reports.

The main backup to six-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, Robinson is averaging 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game while shooting a league-leading 73.7% from the field (28 of 38) in 13 playoff games as a reserve. He also has made only 13 of 43 free-throw attempts (30.2%).

During the regular season, Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 19.6 minutes in 60 games (16 starts) and finished eighth in voting for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

New York’s third-string center is second-year player Ariel Hukporti, a 7-footer who played in 54 regular-season games (five starts) and averaged 2.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 9.2 minutes.

For his career, Robinson averages 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 23.4 minutes in 397 regular-season games (215 starts).

The longest-tenured Knicks player, Robinson was selected by New York in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft out of Western Kentucky.

–Field Level Media