Liberty avoid worst-case scenario with Breanna Stewart injury update

The Liberty avoided the worst-case scenario with Breanna Stewart after their star exited Saturday.

She underwent imaging on her lower right leg after leaving early in the first quarter, and results showed that she avoided a significant injury, sources told The Post’s Madeline Kenney.

Stewart will travel with the Liberty on their upcoming four-game road trip — which begins Monday in Dallas — but they plan to give her time to recover instead of risking a quick return.

Stewart exited with 6:33 left in the opening frame against the Sparks after jogging down the court in transition, waving toward the bench and then hopping on her left foot for a couple of steps. She went down the tunnel and never returned, and in the immediate aftermath of the Liberty’s 101-99 loss, head coach Sandy Brondello didn’t know the severity of the injury and said, “Hopefully, she’ll be OK.”

The Liberty’s Breanna Stewart (30) is defended by Sparks guard Julie Allemand (20) on July 26, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post

In a season where Jonquel Jones has already missed two stretches due to a right ankle injury and plenty of other players have missed time, Stewart’s absence — for however long it ends up being — will force the Liberty to adjust again.

They struggled defensively against the Sparks, allowing them to shoot over 50 percent of the field and falling behind by as many as 15 points without Stewart before mounting a fourth-quarter comeback.

Backup center Nyara Sabally, who has missed the last three games for rest after experiencing discomfort, will be held out for the next two-to-three weeks as the Liberty take a long-term approach with her recovery ahead of the postseason, according to Kenney.

Kennedy Burke also logged just six minutes Saturday due to cramping, while Leonie Fiebich played through a hand injury sustained Friday.

“She’s just such a big part of our offense and defense, and I feel like you could really feel it on the defensive end,” Fiebich said of Stewart on Saturday postgame. “She’s so versatile. She’s pressuring the ball. She can switch. She can guard anybody on the floor, and I feel like we missed that today a little bit. And also on the offense, she gives us a lot.

Breanna Stewart before the Liberty-Sparks game on July 26, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post

“We didn’t have to deal with it this season yet, that we had to play without her. I hope she’s OK and she’s gonna be back soon.”

Stewart has averaged 18.3 points per game this season.