New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart said a knee injury will not keep her from playing Wednesday night against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series.
The defending champion Liberty won 76-69 in overtime on Sunday in Phoenix to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. Game 2 will be played in Brooklyn.
Stewart left Game 1 after falling to the floor and grabbing her left knee in overtime. A two-time league Most Valuable Player, Stewart said she was diagnosed with a sprained MCL.
“They told me that structurally, everything looks OK,” Stewart told reporters Wednesday morning. “So my plan is to go.”
“I’m very happy to have gotten my MRI results back and know that it’s something I can play through,” she added.
The winner of the series will play the winner of the set between the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx and the expansion Golden State Valkyries. The Lynx are up 1-0 ahead of their game Wednesday in San Jose, Calif.
Should the Mercury defeat the Liberty, the series would return to Phoenix.
On the season, Stewart averages a team-leading 18.3 points per game along with 6.5 rebounds.
The 31-year old is a two-time WNBA Finals MVP.
–Field Level Media
