Liberty’s late rally not enough against Sparks as Breanna Stewart’s injury hangs over loss

Just three games after the Liberty got Jonquel Jones back, they have another injury to worry about.

Just four days after Jones returned from a second ankle-related absence of the season, and in a season where different injuries to different players have forced the Liberty to keep adjusting, they watched as Breanna Stewart motioned toward the bench with 6:38 left in the first quarter Saturday — jogging down the court in transition and pulling up before being able to contest a 3-pointer in the corner — and get subbed out of the game five seconds later.

She was ruled out with a lower leg injury.

Just as the Liberty erased a rough June with a five-game winning streak, they were left holding their breath about Stewart and watched as Rickea Jackson fought through contact right before the final buzzer sounded to give Los Angeles a thrilling 101-99 win.

Stewart, averaging 19 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this year, hasn’t missed a game this season, but she underwent surgery on her right knee in March after the Unrivaled campaign ended.

She has missed just two games — both in 2024 — and remained a constant in the lineup despite Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally, Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison all missing at least a game due to injury, in addition to Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who’s out for the year.

Part of the Liberty’s decision with Stewart on Saturday could’ve revolved around caution.

They were finishing a back-to-back before embarking on a four-game road trip, which starts Monday in Dallas.

Head coach Sandy Brondello also reiterated a desire pregame to start reducing Stewart’s minutes — and, really, the minutes of all of her starters — and maximizing the depth that kept growing with the recent addition of Stephanie Talbot and will only continue to grow once Emma Meesseman, who agreed the Liberty and is working through the visa process, arrives.

But Saturday, at least, the Liberty were able to adapt on the fly until the end.

The Sparks led by as many as 15 points in the first half, even with the Liberty shooting 45.2 percent from the field, and poured in 58 points across the opening 20 minutes.

Defensive issues, which had largely evaporated after the return of Jones, returned.

Open 3-pointer after open 3-pointer helped the Sparks build the foundation for a lead that withstood any Liberty run.

Still, the Liberty found a way to eventually mount a comeback, using Ionescu’s 30 points, Cloud’s 22 and Jones’ 14.

It took until the 2:18 mark of the fourth, but Ionescu — who scored 17 points in the first half but was largely limited in the second until midway through the fourth quarter — finally tied the game at 95 with an and-one. She tied it again with 23 seconds left on another jumper.

But after Jackson converted, Ionescu never got another chance.