The New York Liberty can close out their first-round series with the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, but they might have to do it without leading scorer Breanna Stewart.
According to reports, the two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player was slated to undergo an MRI on Monday after injuring her left leg during Sunday’s 76-69 overtime win in Phoenix. Stewart piled up 16 points, six rebounds and four assists while playing 40 of a possible 45 minutes.
Stewart sustained the injury with 3:01 left in overtime. She drove down the baseline and banked in a layup while running into Phoenix’s Satou Sabally, who tried to take a charge but was called for the foul. Stewart fell into the lane, clutching her left knee and shaking her head in anguish.
During a subsequent timeout, the 31-year-old forward limped to the bench without assistance. She returned to play three more possessions, but came out of the game with the Liberty leading 72-65 with 2:07 to go.
Stewart led the Liberty during the regular season in scoring (18.3 points per game), blocks (1.4 bpg) and steals (1.4 spg) while ranking second in rebounds (6.5 rpg).
If Stewart cannot play in Game 2 and going forward, the Liberty’s regular-season results suggest they will struggle without her. In the 31 games Stewart played, New York posted a 22-9 record. In the 13 games she missed due to a bone bruise on her right knee, the Liberty went 5-8.
–Field Level Media
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