The New York Liberty’s five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end against the Los Angeles Sparks. A team with one of the worst defenses in the league, sporting a 107.5 defensive rating. But let’s be real, this upset likely wouldn’t have happened if Breanna Stewart hadn’t gone down with an unfortunate injury early in the first half. With Liberty about to embark on a crucial road trip, playing five of their next six games away from home, naturally, there are question marks regarding her status. So when can we expect her back? Well, there’s finally an update!
It all unfolded midway through the first quarter. Breanna Stewart had only been on the floor for about three minutes when she appeared to tweak her leg while running back on defense. There was no contact with any player. The Liberty immediately called a timeout, and Stewart exited the court alongside trainer Terri Acosta.
“No update, hopefully she’ll be OK,” said coach Brondello after her Liberty squad fell to the red-hot Sparks, who’ve now won five straight as their season gains momentum. Fortunately for Stewart and the Liberty, early signs suggest she may have avoided a serious injury.
Breanna Stewart had imaging done on her right leg which showed she avoided significant injury after exiting last night’s game, sources told The Post.
She’ll be with the Liberty on this four-game road trip, but the team plans to give her time to fully recover.
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) July 27, 2025
According to reporter Madeline Kenney, Breanna Stewart avoided any significant injury after undergoing scans on her right leg. A massive relief for the Liberty. Since arriving in New York in 2023, Stewie has missed only two games and has been the picture of durability for the team. However, the report also mentions that she’ll be given time to fully recover, meaning she’s unlikely to feature in the upcoming matchup against Dallas.
That’s going to be a huge blow for the Liberty. Stewie is putting up 19 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game this season, as the defending champions sit comfortably in second place with a 17-7 record. But if we’re being honest, the warning signs were there….Stewart herself knew about it.
Is the WNBA schedule to blame for Breanna Stewart’s injury?
The Liberty’s game against the Sparks came on the second night of a back-to-back, following their win over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday. In that game, Stewart logged 31 minutes but managed just 6 points, her season low. The fatigue was beginning to show, and the warning signs were there and Stewie herself acknowledged it.
“I don’t want to give an excuse of being fatigued because we did have two days off,” Stewart said Friday. “I just gotta get my legs back underneath me. I don’t know how I do that with a back-to-back tomorrow, but I’ll figure it out.”
You can’t help but wonder if the grueling schedule played a part in the 2x MVP’s injury. It was clear she was fatigued, yet had no choice but to suit up the very next night. Sure, some might argue that the bench could’ve been used, but let’s be honest, replacing someone like Stewie with limited roster depth was always going to be a tough ask.
Do you think rule implementations on scheduling and roster should be done going forward to help the athletes going forward? What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments down below!
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