[Music] Brianna Stewart scored 21 points as the New York Liberty survived some sluggish moments on offense and pulled away down the stretch for an 84 to70 victory over the host Phoenix Mercury on Monday night the Liberty 26 to5 won for the ninth time in 10 games after seeing their eight-game winning streak in with Saturday 72 to 64 setb against the Connecticut Side New York also avoided losing consecutive games for the second time this season and moved three games ahead of Connecticut in the race for the wnba's number one seed Courtney vandersloot added a season best 16 points including a three-pointer and a 19-footer on back-to-back possessions for a 64 to 55 lead early in the fourth when New York began pulling away jonel Jones chipped in 15 points and Sabrina iancu contributed 13 as the Liberty shot 41.4% overall and made 10 of 15 shots from the field at the final Britney grinder scored 12 of 22 points in the fourth to lead all scorers but Phoenix 16 to 15 committed 22 turnovers for the game Natasha Cloud added 18 points Kia copper finished with 14 as the Mercury shot 46.3% from the floor and scored 46 points in the paint but also went five 22 from three-point range steart scored 11 points in New York's sluggish opening half but contributed a 14 flitter during a 10 to Z fourth quarter run delivery iancu added a floater and a three during the spurt which turned a 64 to 57 lead into a 74 to 57 Advantage with 5 03 left in the game despite ionescu's basket seemingly securing the Wind Phoenix hung around and trailed 75 to 68 after Grinders hook shot with 252 remaining New York locked up the victory with 95 seconds left when Jones sank a jumper from the foul line for a 79 to 68 after entering halftime in a 38- 38 deadline the Liberty grabbed a 50 to 45 Edge on icu's pull-up jumper with 620 to go in the third quarter New York expanded its lead to 56 to 49 on two free throws by Stewart with 247 left and held a 59- 53 lead heading into the fourth