Liberty struck first in their opening round WNBA Playoffs series against the Phoenix Mercury with a 76-69 Game 1 win on the road. With the series shifting to the Liberty’s home court for Game 2, the win could have come a major cost. Liberty star forward Breanna Stewart suffered an apparent knee injury during the game, as per Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
Following the Liberty’s Game 1 win against the Mercury, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello did not have an immediate update for Breanna Stewart’s injury, as per Andrew’s. The play happened late in the game when Stewart went up for a shot at the basket. She appeared to have landed awkwardly on her way down. Despite the injury, she did not come out of the game.
Stewart was one of two Liberty players, including Natasha Cloud, who played all 40 minutes of the game. She finished with 18 points, six rebounds, one assists and one blocked shot. She shot 7-of-14 from the field, 1-of-3 from the three-point line and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Stewart had been sidelined earlier in the regular season when she suffered a bone bruise following a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on July 25. The injury kept her out for a month, as she made her return on Aug. 25 against the Connecticut Sun.
During the regular season, Stewart appeared in 31 games at a little over 30 minutes per game. She averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocked shots with splits of 46.1 percent shooting from the field, 24.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
