NEW YORK — New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said she is planning to play in Wednesday night’s Game 2 against the Phoenix Mercury after spraining her left MCL in the opening game of the series.
Stewart didn’t practice Tuesday, but went through shootaround on Wednesday morning, wearing a leg sleeve on her left knee. She said she wanted to see how she felt on Wednesday before coming to any conclusion about her status.
New York leads the series 1-0 after winning Game 1, 76-69, in overtime.
“We want to finish it here,” Stewart said. “Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority.”
Stewart sustained the injury with 3:01 remaining in overtime when she attempted a driving layup on the left baseline. She made the shot and also got fouled. When she landed, she appeared to grimace and immediately grabbed at her left knee. She played 54 more seconds before asking to be subbed out of the game. Stewart said she asked for the substitution as both a reflection of her discomfort when moving laterally and the score. New York led by seven points when she exited the game.
“What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything,” Stewart said.
Stewart underwent an MRI on Monday morning and said she learned the results of her imaging around an hour later. She said she has felt better every day and as of Wednesday morning her current level of pain was a three out of 10.
“I’m willing to take that (chance at a possible re-injury) because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK,” Stewart said.
“(Stewart is) a tough motherf—er,” New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud said.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said that Phoenix has been preparing as if Stewart would be active.
Stewart missed 13 games this season because of a bone bruise on her right knee. She also underwent surgery on her right knee in March after the conclusion of Unrivaled, the winter 3×3 professional league she co-founded.
Should the Mercury win on Wednesday, Game 3 would be Friday in Phoenix.
“We don’t want to go back to Phoenix,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “But they’re going to come in hungry. We know that.”
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