Rookie Pauline Astier leads Liberty past Mercury

Undrafted rookie Pauline Astier scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists as the New York Liberty held on for a 75-68 victory over the Phoenix Mercury Friday night in New York.

Astier’s two free throws with nine seconds helped ice the game.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 13 points for the Liberty (5-4), who have won two in a row.

Kaleah Copper scored 16 points to pave the way for the Mercury (2-7), who have lost five in a row. Alyssa Thomas finished with 15 points and eight assists while Monique Akoa Makani added 13.

The Liberty took a 34-31 lead into halftime and led 39-33 with 7:25 left in the third after Leonie Fiebich scored on a backdoor cut, drawing a foul and making the ensuing free throw.

But Copper pulled up for a jumper at the 6:06 mark, knotting the score at 39-39, marking the first tie of the game and Copper’s first field goal.

New York responded with a 9-0 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from Jonquel Jones and Han Xu that put the Liberty up 48-39 with 3:38 left in the quarter.

Phoenix closed to 54-52 on a pair of DeWanna Bonner free throws with 59 seconds left but New York finished the third with a 59-54 advantage.

By the 6:59 mark of the fourth, the Liberty were up by double digits as Rebekah Gardner drove through the lane for a layup and a 67-57 lead.

Phoenix battled back to get within 67-65 after a pair of free throws by Bonner with 3:35 to go.

The Mercury was within 71-68 after a 3-pointer from Makani and Bonner attempted a long range shot that would have tied the game with 17 seconds remaining.

Meeting for the second time in three days, New York led 17-11 at the end of the first quarter and stretched its advantage to double digits after Astier made back-to-back baskets for a 23-12 lead with 7:34 remaining in the half.

Thomas got the deficit back to nine (23-14) after scoring on a putback with 6:34 to go.

Thomas later went coast to coast for a layup off a turnover, cutting the Liberty lead to 27-23 with 2:58 left in the half.

Thomas pulled Phoenix within 31-29 with 1:05 left after hitting a pair of free throws but New York answered on a 3-pointer from Laney-Hamilton for a 34-29 edge with 46 seconds left until halftime.

–Field Level Media