Three minutes into additional time in Recreation 1 of a first-round playoff collection towards the Phoenix Mercury, the New York Liberty gathered round their star Breanna Stewart, who lay on the court docket grabbing at her left knee.
Stewart tried the free throw awarded on the play that led to her harm, missed it, and left the sport for good shortly afterwards. She gave the impression to be preventing again tears as she watched her staff eke out a 76-69 win.
Stewart had 18 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists within the tight, albeit sloppy, postseason sport, which was performed in Phoenix. There isn’t a replace on her well being right now.
“We only just got back to the locker room. I’m sure she’ll be evaluated soon,” New York coach Sandy Brondello advised reporters after the sport. With the brand new playoff format, each New York and Phoenix will head to Brooklyn for Recreation 2 Wednesday evening.
“She asked me to sub her out there, and she looked uncomfortable, so that was the reason we took her out … we’re just hoping that she’ll be okay.”
A critical harm to Stewart may cease New York’s postseason run earlier than it even will get began.
The postseason was purported to be a reset, an opportunity to wipe the slate clear. “Once the playoffs come, it’s just a new season,” New York guard Sabrina Ionescu stated within the current episode of Liberty Unlocked, the staff’s all-access collection.
As an alternative, Recreation 1 featured psychological errors and an harm to a key participant.
Breanna Stewart harm: Liberty star (knee) leaves Recreation 1 vs. Mercury in additional time, can be evaluated ‘soon’
Jack Maloney
A tumultuous season
The season hasn’t gone as anticipated for the New York Liberty. After a scorching begin, accidents compelled the Liberty to make use of greater than 15 totally different beginning lineups in a 44-game season.
Stewart missed 13 video games in the course of the common season with a proper knee bone bruise. The Liberty went 5-8 with out her. The staff was additionally with out the providers of 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones for 13 video games, Sixth Participant of the Yr candidate Kennedy Burke for eight video games and Nyara Sabally, who performed a vital position within the Recreation 5 additional time basic that sealed the 2024 WNBA championship for the Liberty, for 27 video games. Fellow German Olympian Leonie Fiebich additionally missed seven video games.
One could also be tempted guilty all of the 2025 woes on accidents. Nonetheless, to take action would foolishly overlook that New York averaged 13.8 turnovers per sport all through the common season. The Liberty additionally led the league in offensive rebounds (9.7) allowed per sport, and gave up a median of 14.8 factors off turnovers.
The Liberty gave Phoenix 15 factors off 21 turnovers on Sunday.
For the reason that Liberty fell to the fifth seed within the playoffs, they’re unlikely to have dwelling court docket benefit all through the playoffs. New York went 10-12 in away video games in the course of the common season.
Everybody must step up
Phoenix practically doubled the Liberty in free throw makes an attempt. All however certainly one of New York’s 9 makes an attempt got here from Stewart and staff scoring chief Natasha Cloud (23 factors), who carried the staff within the bodily, low-scoring sport,
If Stewart is out on Wednesday, certainly one of her teammates should step up. Jones, who Phoenix held to seven factors Sunday, is the prime candidate. Jones was aggressive on the boards, however might want to give the Liberty extra offense in the event that they hope to clinch the collection in entrance of their dwelling crowd. The defending champions are a gaudy 33-0 over the previous three years when Jones tallies a double-double within the common season.
“I just want to be able to be able to protect the rim and then, you know, use my rebounding to be able to help us close our possessions and ultimately win,” Jones stated after Sunday’s sport. She understands the physicality will solely improve because the playoffs proceed.
“You get treatment, you understand that that’s just the nature of the playoffs, that physicality is just how it’s going to be. It’s going to be really turned up from another level, from the regular season,” Jones stated.
2025 WNBA playoffs winners and losers: Lynx, Aces rating large wins; Liberty lose Breanna Stewart to harm
Jack Maloney
“I think experience kind of helps us out in that aspect as well, because we’re used to it. We understood, or understand, what it took last year to be able to go to distance. So yeah, that’s just the nature of the playoffs,” she added.
Sabrina Ionescu had 16 factors, seven assists, and 6 rebounds on the evening, and Leonie Fiebich added 10 factors — together with an enormous additional time shot from exterior the arc to safe the win. Perimeter taking pictures may resolve the winner of this collection.
“We’re as great of a 3-point shooting team as are they. That’s where it came down to. We made a few more than them. And Leonie Fiebich, none bigger than that 3 in overtime,” Brondello stated. New York and Phoenix took 419 and 414 three-pointers this seasons, respectively.
“Yeah, it was huge. You know, it’s funny. I was — you know she had missed some early on, and I knew she was going to hit the biggest one of the night. It’s just what she does,” Ionescu stated about Fiebich postgame.
The Liberty’s bench solely scored two factors.
What’s subsequent
Profitable Recreation 1 suggestions the scales for New York, who went 17-5 at Barclays Middle this season.
“We have the advantage. We won an away game and we won on their home court. Now the advantage is for us to take care of it. And this, like you said, it is an experienced team. We’ve been here before, and we know what our goal is, and you know, we want to keep playing,” Brondello stated.
If the Liberty lose on Wednesday, the collection heads again to Phoenix for Recreation 3. The Mercury are on the lookout for their first postseason win since 2021, when then-Mercury head coach Brondello led a fifth-seeded Phoenix squad to the WNBA Finals. The winner of this collection will face the winner of the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries within the the semifinals.
Earlier than the playoffs started, Stewart expressed optimism on the newest Liberty Unlocked episode in regards to the staff’s quest for a title protection.
“We haven’t peaked yet and that’s what’s like, the most exciting part about it, is we still haven’t played our best,” Stewart stated within the episode whereas sitting beneath a statue of former teammate and 2025 Naismith Corridor of Famer Sue Fowl in Seattle.
“Everybody’s who’s been talking shit and doubting us, and all these things, that’s fine. But make sure you stay over there when it starts going good for us, too,” Stewart stated.
Whereas the Liberty did get the all-important win, Sunday did little to quiet doubts.
