New York is one of many teams that haven’t been able to escape the injury bug all season long. Jonquel Jones missed time earlier in the season, Kennedy Burke just returned from a lengthy injury, Breanna Stewart, Isabelle Harrison, and Nyara Sabally are still out, and Sabrina Ionescu had to miss the Liberty’s latest game against the Dream with an ankle injury. Stewart’s absence, in particular, threw the Liberty off course.
Stewart hasn’t played since the Liberty’s 101-99 loss to the LA Sparks in late July. She played three minutes in that game. Since then, the Liberty have lost eight of thirteen games. NY Post reporter Madeline Kenney noted a steep drop-off in the Liberty’s defensive rating over that stretch.
The Liberty's defensive rating before Breanna Stewart's injury was 97.2.
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) August 23, 2025
Since she went down with the bone bruise, New York's defensive rating has ballooned to 106.8 -- fourth-worst mark in the league since July 26.
While it has been a rough stretch for the Liberty, there is also plenty to learn from it. The team’s struggles without Stewart highlight how impactful she is on both ends of the floor and revealed that she is the key to bringing another championship to New York. At the same time, however, this stretch has shown that the Liberty must figure out how to defend at a high level without Stewart to make it through the playoffs. Stewart cannot be on the court at all times, especially after coming back from a lengthy absence.
Stewart played well before her injury
Stewart may not have been quite as impressive as she was in her 2023 MVP season, but she still played well before suffering a bone bruise in her knee. She averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks over 31.5 minutes per game. While her 3-point percentage dropped significantly, Stewart was still a vital part of everything the Liberty did.
She scored more than 20 points in ten of the twenty-four games she played, including a season-high 35 points in a 89-81 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in June. Stewart also recorded five double-doubles.
Stewart should be back on the court soon
Stewart already had to miss several big-time matchups, and the Liberty can’t get her back soon enough to close out the regular season on a high note. Stewart said earlier this month that she hoped to be back on the court before her birthday on August, 27.
The Liberty host the 9-27 Connecticut Sun on August 25, which could be a convenient game to ease Stewart back into action. If she returns during that game, she can play the final seven regular-season games and gear up for the playoffs.