Breanna Stewart plans to play in the Liberty's second match against the Phoenix Mercury, she told reporters Tuesday, September 16. New York will host Phoenix at home at Barclays Center Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET.
Stewart injured her left knee when the two teams met for the first time this postseason on Sunday, and was diagnosed with a sprained MCL. She skipped the team's practice Tuesday, but participated in shootaround the following day.
"I wanted to make sure I tried at shootaround, so barring anything crazy happening between now and then, [my plan is to play]," she told reporters. "I just want to make sure that I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s**t." Stewart also said the injury scared her in the moment, but the associated pain is something she believes she can play through.
Stewart went down with the injury after the Mercury and Liberty match went into overtime. After taking a fall following a hard drive, she immediately clutched her left knee and called out in pain. She initially attempted to play the rest of the game, but ultimately sat on the sideline during the last two minutes. Stewart finished the game with 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
The Liberty's big 3 are crucial to their wins
The Liberty are 13-0 this season when Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu are all healthy, and New York will need each to win the game tonight. The Mercury, who have no injuries to report, will likely be out for revenge and firing on all cylinders.
New York has battled through a frustrating season filled with injuries and entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. That wasn't ideal for the defending champions, but the team is playing with what many have described as the deepest roster in the WNBA.
Stewart in particular has had a rough go of it in terms of injuries: in March she underwent surgery to repair her right meniscus after suffering an injury during Unrivaled, and at the end of July she was benched a bone bruise on the same knee.
Luckily, Stewart, Jones, and Ionescu will be aided tonight by Natasha Cloud, who put in a strong performance against her former team Sunday and can likely be counted upon to do it again. The Liberty entered Game 1 as the favorites and their odds have only improved ahead of Game 2.