The New York Liberty finally ran into a storm they couldn’t weather.

Eager as they were to deliver a second straight WNBA title to Downtown Brooklyn, the defending champions met their match in the Phoenix Mercury, falling in three tough games that ended any hope of their “Run it Back in 2025” campaign reaching its ultimate destination.

The first-round series began with New York pulling out a gutty overtime win at in Phoenix on Sept. 14, but Liberty All-Star forward Breanna Stewart suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in her left knee that limited her effectiveness when the series shifted back to Barclays Center.

The Mercury, who advanced to face top-seeded Minnesota in the semifinals, cruised to an 86-60 triumph on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush last Wednesday before the

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