New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart will be a game-time decision for Game 2 of the team’s first-round series against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, coach Sandy Brondello said. Stewart left the team’s dramatic Game 1 win with two minutes remaining in overtime due to a left knee injury.
Brondello told reporters after practice on Tuesday that Stewart’s injury is not serious and noted that the imaging came back, “relatively clean.” She added that Stewart did not practice and the team will “see how [Stewart] feels tomorrow” before making a final decision on her status.
In the middle of overtime in Game 1, Stewart made a tough baseline drive and finished through contact for a clutch bucket that put the Liberty up by five. She immediately clutched for her left knee, however, and screamed out in obvious pain. After a timeout, she returned to the floor to shoot her free throw, which she missed. Though she tried to tough it out for a few possessions, she was ultimately unable to continue and sat for the final 2:07.
Stewart, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists, was able to leave the floor under her own power, both immediately after the injury and following the game.
It goes without saying that the Liberty cannot afford to be without Stewart for any period of time right now. In 31 regular-season appearances, Stewart averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. She led the team in scoring, steals and blocks, and the Liberty were 22-9 when she played.
2025 WNBA playoffs winners and losers: Lynx, Aces score huge wins; Liberty lose Breanna Stewart to injury
Jack Maloney
The Liberty will return home for Game 2 of their best-of-three first-round series on Wednesday with a chance to sweep the Mercury and advance to the semifinals. Should they take care of the Mercury, they would almost certainly meet the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the semis in a 2024 Finals rematch, and would need Stewart at 100%.
This has been a frustrating, injury-filled season for both Stewart and the Liberty, who finished the regular season 27-17 and fell to the No. 5 seed largely because they could not stay healthy. Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu only started and finished 13 regular-season games togther; the Liberty won all of them.
In March, Stewart underwent a minor surgery to repair the meniscus on her right knee but was ready for opening night. Her right knee became an even bigger story in July, when she suffered a bone bruise in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks that kept her out for a month.
