Liberty list Breanna Stewart as questionable for Game 2 vs. Mercury after MRI comes back 'relatively clean'

Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News on Sep 16, 2025

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NEW YORK — The good news for the Liberty is there’s somehow a possibility that Breanna Stewart could return to action after suffering a scary-looking left knee injury in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Phoenix Mercury.

The bad news is there’s still no clarity on how severe the injury is or how limited Stewart will be if she plays.

We don’t even know what the exact injury is.

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said Tuesday that Stewart didn’t participate in practice and is a “game-time decision” for Wednesday’s Game 2 against the Mercury.

“We’ll see how she feels tomorrow and give her as much time as we can,” the head coach said of Stewart, who was present during Tuesday’s practice with a sleeve on her left leg.

After sharing the news of Stewart's possible return to the court, the head coach then stayed reserved when asked about MRI results the star reportedly underwent on Monday.

Brondello said the results came back “relatively clean.”

The uncertainty around the injury raises the question of whether Stewart is fit to participate in a postseason game — or any game at all.

And when Brondello was asked if Stewart would be a DNP if Wednesday’s game was a lower-stakes regular-season game, she said: “It’s a great question. Like I said, Stewie, she’s doing OK. We want to make sure she’s good to go in that regard. It’s nice that we didn’t have to play tonight [Tuesday]. I think that helps with an extra day of recovery. And we’re hopeful.”

The injury occurred three minutes before the final buzzer of the Liberty’s Game 1 overtime win against the Mercury on Sunday. Stewart rose up for a shot attempt, landed on her left leg and immediately grabbed her left knee while on the hardwood in pain.

She stayed in the game, missed her free throw and exited a minute later.

The left knee injury is different from the previous bone bruise injury in Stewart’s right knee that caused her to miss 13 games over the summer. Stewart also underwent surgery on that right knee in March.

The Liberty officially listed the 6-4 star as questionable for Game 2.

On the other side, Nate Tibbetts’ Mercury team is ready for whatever lineup Brondello deploys for Game 2.

“I mean, I feel like she will play, but I also feel like we just have to prepare with her or without her, regardless …” Mercury star Satou Sabally said Tuesday at practice.

Minutes later, her head coach offered a similar response on how to prepare for the Liberty on Wednesday.

“I think we prepare with her and we prepare without her,” Tibbetts said.

No Stewart means the Liberty would be without — for at least a game — the team's 22-point per game postseason scorer, which is second in WNBA history behind Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper.

The team would be without one of its elite defenders as Brondello continues her tailored defense around — and in front of — do-it-all MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas.

And it also raises major doubts for the Liberty’s chances to repeat as WNBA champions if the team is able to get by the Mercury.

One more Liberty win in this best-of-three series sets up a likely second-round best-of-five matchup against the Minnesota Lynx or Golden State Valkyrie.

But for now, they’ll have to get past the Mercury, who will gameplan for a rotation that may not be known till a few moments before tip-off.

During Stewart’s 13-game regular season absence, multiple players filled her role while the team dealt with a litany of other injuries: Isabelle Harrison, Emma Meesseman, Marine Johannes and Kennedy Burke.

Burke or Meesseman project to be the likely fill-in starter if Stewart isn’t good to go.

Whatever rotation that’s on the court will have the job of closing the series after the Mercury relinquished home-court advantage.

“We’re ready to go,” Brondello said. “Stewie’s in, Stewie’s out, we’re ready to go. … We don’t want to go back to Phoenix, but they’re going to come in hungry. We know that.”

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