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

Breanna Stewart exited with 6:33 left in the first quarter and was ruled out with a lower leg injury, forcing the Liberty to finish their 101-99 loss to the Sparks on Saturday without the two-time MVP.

It’s unclear when exactly the injury occurred, but Stewart motioned toward the bench after jogging down the court in transition before the Sparks hit an open 3-pointer.

She hopped twice on her left foot, put both hands on her knees and then waited for head coach Sandy Brondello to call a timeout seconds later to sub her out.

Brondello didn’t have any update on Stewart or what the specific injury was postgame, saying that “hopefully, she’ll be OK.”

“She does so many different things for our team,” Jones said, “so it’s hard to properly articulate how important she is to us and what she brings to the court every night and to our team every night.”


  Breanna Stewart exited Saturday’s game. Getty Images Breanna Stewart exited Saturday’s game. Getty Images

It added an ominous feeling to the final 33-plus minutes Saturday, as any time Stewart misses would be devastating for the Liberty.

She averaged 19 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season before hitting a 3-pointer and collecting a rebound Saturday. Stewart hasn’t missed a game this season and has missed just two games across her three years in Brooklyn, but she underwent surgery on her right knee in March after the Unrivaled campaign ended.

She also tore her right Achilles in 2019 and underwent in 2022 what she described at the time, according to ESPN, as a “minor repair and reinforcement of the Achilles tendon” in the left leg.


  New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) stands with teammates before the start of a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) stands with teammates before the start of a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post

Brondello had reiterated a desire pregame Saturday to start reducing Stewart’s minutes — and, really, the minutes of all of her starters — while maximizing depth.

Stewart has averaged 32.7 minutes per game this year after averaging 32.7 in 2022 and 34.1 in 2023. Last year, Brondello hinted that she overused Stewart during her first campaign with the Liberty.


  Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) is defended by Los Angeles Sparks guard Julie Allemand (20) during the first half of a game at the Barclays Center. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) is defended by Los Angeles Sparks guard Julie Allemand (20) during the first half of a game at the Barclays Center. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post

Marine Johannès said that she saw Stewart with the medical staff and described her as a “little bit sad,” while Jones said she gave Stewart a hug at halftime.

And in the aftermath of their five-game winning streak ending, the Liberty were all left holding their breath.

“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,” Leonie Fiebich said. “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. “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.”

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