New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart will be sidelined indefinitely due to a bone bruise in her right knee, coach Sandy Brondello confirmed Wednesday.
While the specifics of her injury are now known, it’s unclear how long she’ll be sidelined. Brondello did not have a timeline for Stewart's return, and the Liberty star was not available for the team's matchup with the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday.
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"We want to be smart with it," Brondello said before the game, via ESPN. "If we can get her back at the end of August, I think that's great. It's big-picture ... so when she's ready. But keep it fresh for the playoffs. I know she'll be back before then. How early she gets back before the end of the [regular] season, I don't know.”
Stewart went down in the opening minutes of the Liberty's matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday.
She awkwardly pulled up and started walking around with the apparent non-contact injury. She made an immediate call to come out of the game and was ruled out at halftime. She hasn’t played since.
For a long time, the nature of Stewart’s injury was unclear. Initial imaging revealed the absence of a significant injury, which was a good sign. But Brondello said Monday that the team didn’t actually know what part of Stewart’s leg was hurt.
While there still isn’t a timetable for her return, knowing the nature of the injury is a step in the right direction.
Stewart is averaging 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds this season. The two-time league MVP hadn’t missed a game all year before this injury.
The Liberty entered Wednesday’s game at the Target Center with a 17-8 record, which is second-best in the league behind the Lynx. They’ve lost two straight, though, and are trying to avoid what would be their longest losing streak of the season on Wednesday.
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