A sense of optimism seems to be emerging in New York.
Liberty All-Star Breanna Stewart seemingly avoided a severe lower-leg ailment after exiting early during Saturday’s defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks. This information comes from Madeline Kenney of the New York Post, who shared on Sunday that scans showed no significant damage.
The exact details of Stewart’s condition, however, remain somewhat vague. Liberty coach Sandy Brondello acknowledged the injury on Monday, but stated that the specific location of Stewart’s leg injury is unknown. She also did not provide a timeline for Stewart’s return to play.
Despite the ambiguity, the news is certainly positive in New York as the Liberty aim to secure another WNBA championship.
According to the report, Stewart will accompany the team on New York’s upcoming four-game road trip, which includes a potential WNBA Finals showdown against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. Stewart’s participation in that game on Wednesday is uncertain. Kenney reports that the Liberty intend “to allow her sufficient time to fully recuperate.”
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Regardless of whether she returns for the road trip or later, the report suggests that Stewart will be back in action before the final stretch of the season, which ends on Sept. 11.
Stewart stopped abruptly in the early moments of Saturday’s game and requested to be subbed out due to what appeared to be a non-contact issue.
She did not re-enter the game and was eventually ruled out at halftime.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello informed reporters after the game that there was no update regarding Stewart’s status.
“Hopefully she’ll be OK,” Brondello said during her postgame press conference.
Saturday’s 101-99 loss to the Sparks was the Liberty’s first in six games, dropping their record to 17-7. They still hold a comfortable lead in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Dream (14-10). The Lynx have the best record in the WNBA (22-4), four games ahead of the Liberty in the pursuit of home-court advantage in a potential Finals matchup.
Stewart, a seven-time All-WNBA selection and two-time MVP, is crucial to New York’s chances of maintaining their dominance in the East and winning back-to-back WNBA championships.
