With the Liberty aiming to sweep their best-of-three first-round series against the visiting Phoenix Mercury, New York star Breanna Stewart will be a game-time decision for Game 2 on Wednesday, coach Sandy Brondello told reporters after Tuesday’s practice.
A two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, Stewart injured her left leg during Sunday’s 76-69 overtime win in Phoenix. Stewart piled up 18 points, six rebounds and four assists while playing 40 of a possible 45 minutes.
“She’s tough,” Brondello said. “I think one of her superpowers is her mental toughness, so if she’s able to go, she’ll go.”
Brondello did not specify Stewart’s injury, but told reporter that the scans of the forward’s knee were “relatively clean.”
Stewart, who was not made available to the media on Tuesday, attended practice but remained on the sideline.
She sustained the injury with 3:01 left in overtime. She drove down the baseline and banked in a layup while running into Phoenix’s Satou Sabally, who tried to take a charge but was called for the foul. Stewart fell into the lane, clutching her left knee and shaking her head in anguish.
During a subsequent timeout, the 31-year-old forward limped to the bench without assistance. She returned to play three more possessions, but came out of the game with the Liberty leading 72-65 with 2:07 to go.
Stewart led the Liberty during the regular season in scoring average (18.3 points per game), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.4) while ranking second in rebounds (6.5).
In the 31 games Stewart played, New York posted a 22-9 record. In the 13 games she missed due to a bone bruise on her right knee, the Liberty went 5-8.
–Field Level Media
