The Liberty entered a hostile environment and secured an overtime Game 1 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.
But at what cost?
The Liberty win Game 1, but Breanna Stewart left the game with a knee injury 👀 pic.twitter.com/ISoA8uAwGz
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) September 15, 2025
The Liberty now head to New York for Game 2 of the first-round series not knowing the status of Breanna Stewart, who exited Sunday’s victory due to an apparent left knee injury.
The star injured her left knee with three minutes remaining in overtime on an and-1 layup over Phoenix’s Satou Sabally. After colliding with Sabally, Stewart made her layup but immediately fell to the hardwood in pain.
She stayed in the game, missed her free throw and exited a minute later.
After the game, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello didn’t have an update on Stewart, who finished Game 1 with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“No, no, we only just got back to the locker room,” Brondello said when asked if there was an immediate update on the star forward. “I’m sure she’ll be evaluated soon.”
Stewart looked to be in pain as soon as she landed following the layup attempt. The apparent injury was sustained to her left knee — not the right knee that caused her to miss 13 games (bone bruise) over the summer. Brondello said postgame that the star asked the head coach to “sub her out there, and she looked uncomfortable, so that was the reason we took her out there.
“And then we’re just, you know, we’ll just be hoping that she’ll be OK.”
Without Stewart, the Liberty obviously will be shorthanded in their hopes to win back-to-back WNBA titles.
Stewart had been clutch in Game 1, as her contested 6-foot jumper tied that game at 65 with 1:31 remaining in regulation. It was the final basket of the fourth quarter and took place shortly before Mercury star Alyssa Thomas blew a layup that would’ve given Phoenix a two-point lead with seconds remaining in regulation.
The two teams will play Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series Wednesday at Barclays Center.
