The New York Liberty have insisted time and again this year, through all of their injuries and setbacks, that they have enough in their locker room to win big games.
While nothing is certain, it looks like that may be tested in a way nobody wanted to see.
Breanna Stewart suffered an apparent knee injury in overtime as the Liberty took down the Phoenix Mercury, 76-69, in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round series.
Though she initially stayed in the game, missing the and-1 free throw that came as a result of the play, she soon checked out and was visibly emotional on the bench.
Stewart stays in. Here’s the injury moment#WNBA #LightItUpNYL pic.twitter.com/Fc9Yd4yF0N
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) September 14, 2025
“She asked me to sub her out there, and she looked uncomfortable,” head coach Sandy Brondello said after the game. “We're just hoping she'll be okay.”
Brondello did not have any additional update on her condition, but expect an update from the Liberty before Game 2 on Wednesday.
Leonie Fiebich immediately became essential for the Liberty
The Liberty’s strength going into the season was supposed to be their depth, and this is where it may be tested.
If Stewart is unable to play on Wednesday, Emma Meesseman is a safe bet to slide into the starting lineup in her place, but Leonie Fiebich may suddenly become indispensable to the team’s chances of advancing.
She showed why almost immediately on Sunday. The play after Stewart’s missed free throw, Fiebich converted a layup off a Sabrina Ionescu assist to put New York up seven. Then, when the Mercury cut the deficit to four with just over a minute left, she hit a dagger three that essentially put the game away.
“It’s funny, she had missed some [shots] early on and I knew she was going to hit the biggest one of the night,” Ionescu said. “it's just what she does and she hit that baseline back cut for a layup right before and then came down and hit a three. She's one of the best three-point shooters in the world and we know that.”
Fiebich has had an uneven season but her best stretch came in early July when she scored in double figures in six straight games, shooting 12-21 from three in that span. The Liberty went 5-1 in those games with all five wins coming against teams in the playoffs.
Offensively, she’s not the same player as Stewart. The former MVP excelled this season when she was eschewing the three-point shot for higher percentage looks in the lane or trips to the foul line. For Fiebich, more than half of her field goal attempts this season have come from beyond the arc.
Defensively, however, Fiebich can provide the same sort of length and versatility as Stewart. It’s deadly when the two share the court. But if Stewart is unable to go on Wednesday, it might make it difficult for Brondello to take Fiebich off the court.
And keep in mind: the Liberty want to hang their hats on defense during this playoff run, however long it lasts.
In a game where the Liberty endured maddening stretches of turnovers and missed bunnies, their defense kept them in the game. Not only did they hold the Mercury to 33% shooting and a 6-26 showing from three, Satou Sabally went just 2-17 from the field (1-10 3PT). Sabally averaged 16.3 points per game during the regular season, shooting just over 40% from the field.
“We were all on the same page…the connection was probably the most important thing [in] rotating, helping each other, understanding what the schemes are for the game and just going out there and executing,” Jonquel Jones said. “I think we did a really good job and now we gotta go to New York and take it up to another level.”
The Liberty — with or without Stewart — can punch their ticket to the semifinals for the third straight year with a win at home on Wednesday night.
