New York Liberty got off to a great start in their first Playoff game by defeating Phoenix Mercury 76-69 at PHX Arena, defending their title with great value.
However, with 3:01 minutes left in overtime, Liberty star Breanna Stewart suffered a left knee injury, causing a big scare for the team and fans. Will Breanna play against Mercury?
Stewart’s diagnosis is encouraging
When the 31-year-old veteran attempted a layup against Phoenix rivals Satou Sabally and DeWanna Bonner, she grimaced in mild discomfort, but after taking her shot, she grabbed her knee in obvious pain.
After the event, New York coach Sandy Brondello released that the seven-time WNBA All-Star’s MRIs came back “relatively clean.” However, the player’s diagnosis was unknown.
However, after participating in shooting practice Wednesday morning, the Liberty star met with the media and confirmed that she suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in her left knee.
This type of injury could lead a player to miss several weeks, but the two-time WNBA MVP will not give up and confirmed to the press that she plans to play the second game and try to secure her pass to the second round and close out the best-of-three series.
“What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything,” Stewart told reporters from Barclays Center. “I’m very happy that I’ve gotten my MRI results back, and knowing that it’s something I can play through.”
Meanwhile, the team has great self-confidence, as they got the win at the home of their rivals: “We won on their home court, and now the advantage is for us to take care of it. This is an experienced team, and we’ve been here before. We know what our goal is, and we want to keep playing,” said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello.
Breanna had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 40 minutes of play. She is also looking to capture her fourth WNBA title to add to her four NCAA championships at UConn.
Now, Stewart and Liberty will look for another win at home at the Barclays Center on Wednesday, September 17.
Read the full article here
