NEW YORK — Breanna Stewart said she sustained a sprained MCL, though she will play in Game 2 against the Phoenix Mercury as New York looks to become the first team to clinch a semifinal berth in these playoffs.
Stewart went through shootaround drills on Wednesday, getting up shots in the open portion and participating in the half-court shot contest.
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“I want to make sure I tried at shootaround, so barring anything crazy happening between now and then, that’s my plan [to play],” Stewart said.
Then after warm-ups, Stewart was cleared to keep her place in the starting lineup.
She wore the same leg sleeve as she did on Tuesday while sitting out practice. There appeared to be a brace or wrap underneath, though Stewart slyly said “I don’t know” when asked about it.
It’s a better-case scenario for the two-time WNBA champion after injuring her knee in overtime of the Game 1 victory. Though she walked on her own power after staying on the court and being seen by a team trainer for a few minutes, she was visibly upset on the bench and asked to be taken out of the game.
“What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything,” Stewart said. “And I’m very happy to have gotten my MRI results back and know that it’s something that I can play through depending on how much pain I want to be in.”
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Stewart said when she first got up from the injured play, she didn’t feel as bad as she thought. She missed the and-1 free throw that “really pissed me off” and asked to come out because “I felt like we were in a good spot.” New York led by five, 70-65, and went on to win, 76-69. It was a stressful night for everyone around her, awaiting an MRI, and particularly for her wife, Marta, back home in New York.
“Everybody in my circle is kind of just holding their breath a little bit, just because the symptoms that I had and the way everything felt, but very, very happy Monday morning,” Stewart said.
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The MRI results that head coach Sandy Brondello described as “relatively clean” on Tuesday came back within the hour. Stewart said she felt a three on a 1-to-10 scale of pain. She began running on Wednesday.
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An MCL sprain impacts the inner side of the knee and can range from a mild sprain or partial tear to a grade 3 rupture. More severe sprains are often treated with surgery. Non-surgical treatment includes rest, ice and elevation, wearing a knee brace for compression and stability, and physical therapy. She acknowledged there’s always the potential for reaggravating an injury or making an injury worse.
“I’m willing to take that because I want to be out with my team,” Stewart said. “And [trainers] told me that, like, structurally, everything is OK, so my plan is to help.”
Susan King Borchardt, Stewart’s personal trainer since her days with Seattle, attended shootaround on Wednesday. Stewart has a history of knee injuries and missed 13 games this season with a bone bruise in her right knee. She also underwent a scope in that knee after the Unrivaled season in March.
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“Knowing that, when we have these bumps in the road and she’s here, it gives me confidence in what I’m going up against and I have my people on my side,” Stewart said.
She said having two days in between games was helpful for rest, recovery and treatment so she could go out and compete. All four playoff series began on Sunday, but the second games were split between Tuesday and Wednesday. Game 3, if necessary, is on Friday.
Jonquel Jones agreed with the assessment on Tuesday that finishing business in Game 2 would be beneficial to give Stewart more rest, and give New York more time to prepare for going on the road in the semifinals. They begin on Sunday, and New York would face the winner of No. 1 Minnesota and No. 8 Golden State. The Lynx lead, 1-0.
“That’s a tough motherf*****,” Natasha Cloud said. “I’m excited, because that’s one of our engines. And so she was such a huge piece for us, all season, but especially in Game 1.”
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