(Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

The New York Liberty have dropped three consecutive games at home for the first time since the 2022 season.

They will look to halt the skid Wednesday as they continue a seven-game homestand against the Phoenix Mercury.

'Nobody expected this,' Liberty star Breanna Stewart said. 'But I'm glad (the slump) is happening early and not late.'

Stewart urged patience. After all, the Liberty have yet to play with their complete roster. On Monday, when it blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 81-74 to the expansion Portland Fire, New York was missing four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu (rest), Leonie Fiebich (rest) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (personal).

In addition, three-time All-Star Satou Sabally played just four minutes due to illness.

Ionescu needed the rest after missing the season's first five games with an injured foot, and the Liberty did not want to play her on consecutive nights. Fiebich needed the rest because she just came back from Europe, where she won a Spanish League title. All four of those players are day-to-day.

Meanwhile, Phoenix also has lost three straight games, most recently an 82-80 setback at Atlanta on Sunday.

The Mercury have talent, but they are an older team led by triple-double threat Alyssa Thomas, 34, who is averaging 18.0 points, 8.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds. Kahleah Copper, 31, is averaging a team-high 18.7 points, and DeWanna Bonner, 38, is averaging 9.7 points and 5.9 boards.

Guard Jovana Nogic has been a Mercury bright spot. The 28-year-old undrafted rookie from Serbia is averaging 14.7 points while shooting 93.1% on free throws and 51.3% on 3-pointers.

Ironically, the missing piece for Phoenix is Sabally, who bolted to New York as a free agent following the 2025 season. Sabally helped Phoenix go 27-17 last year, but now the Mercury are just 2-5.

Still, Nate Tibbetts -- who is in his third season as the Mercury coach -- remains optimistic, especially following Sunday's close loss to the Dream.

'Obviously, we're not into moral victories,' Tibbetts said. 'But I thought we took a step in the right direction. We battled.'

--Field Level Media