09/17/25 05:42:00
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09/17 17:41 CDT Breanna Stewart a game-time decision to play for Liberty in
Game 2 against Mercury after knee injury
Breanna Stewart a game-time decision to play for Liberty in Game 2 against
Mercury after knee injury
By DOUG FENIBERG
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Breanna Stewart's availability for Game 2 of the WNBA
playoffs will be a game-time decision, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said
Wednesday.
Stewart sprained the MCL in her left knee in the opener of the first-round
matchup against Phoenix and New York was trying to wrap up the series at home
Wednesday.
"The plan for (Stewart) is to go through warmups and push it as hard as she can
and then make a decision," Brondello said before the game. "It's really pain
tolerance for her, but we want to make sure that she's able to go and
confident. She's getting rest and treatment."
Stewart said after going through shootaround Wednesday morning wearing a sleeve
on her left knee that she intended to play in Game 2.
"I wanted to make sure I tried in shootaround and barring anything crazy
happening between now and (the game), that's my plan," Stewart said. "I just
want to make sure I wake up from my nap and don't feel (bad)."
Stewart injured the knee when she drove to the baseline and was fouled with
3:01 left in overtime of Sunday's Game 1. The knee appeared to buckle and she
went down and grabbed it. After a New York timeout, Stewart attempted a free
throw but missed it. She wore a knee brace after the injury, then came out a
minute later.
"I sprained my MCL basically, that's what I felt in the moment. Scared me more
than anything," Stewart said. "I'm very happy to have my MRI result back and
know that it's something that I can play through depending on how much pain I'm
going to be in."
Stewart said that when she first got up after injuring the knee, it wasn't as
bad as she thought it would be.
"I wanted to stay in the game. Shoot the free throw, missed the free throw,"
she said. "But anything laterally was not as enjoyable, and I felt like we were
in a good spot where I told Sandy I need to come out."
Stewart didn't practice Tuesday.
"Every day it's gotten better," she said Wednesday. "Thankfully we had today
... I was able to just, like, really rest, recover, get as much treatment as
possible, so that I can hopefully go out and compete with my team."
Phoenix players and coaches weren't surprised to hear that Stewart planned to
play.
"We've been planning on that," Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. "You don't
want to see anybody be injured. I'm glad it was nothing serious."
He then said his team "probably" would test Stewart's mobility early.
Stewart, who had 18 points and six rebounds before leaving Game 1, missed about
a month of the season with a bone bruise on the other knee, suffered in late
July.
Game 3 would be Friday in Phoenix.
The Liberty have had a difficult season with injuries. Jonquel Jones missed
significant time early in the year with a sprained ankle and Sabrina Ionescu
was out for a few games late with a toe injury she suffered in practice.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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