The New York Liberty breathed a huge sigh of relief Sunday as imaging revealed that Breanna Stewart did not suffer a serious injury to her right leg. While her return date remains uncertain, Stewart will travel with the team on its upcoming four-game road trip.
The injury scare came early in Saturday night’s 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. After setting a screen and rolling to the hoop for a pass from Sabrina Ionescu, Stewart missed a contested layup. Moments later, she signaled for a sub as she limped past halfcourt. She was ruled out shortly after and did not return.
She has a history of injury, so the team braced for the worst. But for now, the Liberty have dodged a worst-case scenario.
Stewart having MVP type season
Before Saturday’s scare, Stewart was averaging 19 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and nearly 3 combined steals and blocks per game. She’s appeared in her seventh All-Star Game this season and continues to be one of the league’s most complete players.
Reinforcement coming
The Liberty have battled roster instability all season. Jonquel Jones has appeared in only 11 games due to ankle issues. Nyara Sabally is dealing with knee trouble. Leonie Fiebich missed time while competing at EuroBasket.
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Fortunately, 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman is expected to join the team later this season once her visa issues are resolved, a crucial boost if Stewart needs time to recover.
For now, Liberty fans can relax. The injury looked bad, but Stewart seems to have avoided a disaster and that’s all that matters at this point in the season.
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