New York Liberty Forward Breanna Stewart is scheduled to return tonight as the Liberty take on the Connecticut Sun. This will be her first game after missing 13 straight because of a bone bruise in her right knee. Before her injury, she was averaging 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. She is currently the team’s second leading scorer behind sharpshooting Guard Sabrina Ionescu, who is currently putting up 19 a night.
Liberty’s Performance Without Stewart
Since the injury, New York has won only five of their last 13 games, further highlighting her importance and value to the team. Losing the two-time MVP was a devastating blow for the Liberty. Although they managed to stay afloat sitting as the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference, they dropped to the No. 5 seed after being ranked second right as the playoffs are approaching, as they are scheduled to begin on Sept. 14.
How Does the Star Feel?
Despite missing out on in-game competition since July 26, it is reported that Stewart feels good and wants to do her best to help her team be the Liberty that they were before suffering her knee injury. “I’m feeling good. I’m going to [play] tonight. I just want to be back with my team, and I’m trying to help make things a little bit easier on all fronts, and know that this is important for our playoff push, and I took the time I needed and was on the training staff for the entire four weeks.”
In addition to the team’s current standings, they currently hold a record of just seven games above 500 at 22-15 as they look for their 23rd win against the Sun. This is a low-risk game for New York as the Sun are eliminated from the playoffs, sitting at the 11th spot with a record of 9-27. Assuming the team can win this game without much problem, they will be one step closer to improving their standing for the playoff picture.
