Breanna Stewart Sets Birthday Deadline for Liberty Injury Return
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart suffered a knee injury during the defending WNBA champions' July 26 game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The injury occurred after the three-time WNBA champion and two-time WNBA MVP made an awkward step, which ultimately resulted in a bone bruise in her right knee. Fast forward about two weeks, and there still isn't a clear update on when Stewart will be returning to the court.
However, the 30-year-old provided an interesting update when speaking with the media before her team's August 10 game against the Minnesota Lynx.
"I'm on the training staff to let me be back, to free me a little bit, but definitely before my birthday, that's a non-negotiable. I have to be back before my birthday," Stewart said, per an X post from Underdog WNBA.
For context, Stewart's birthday is on August 27.
Breanna Stewart on her return to the court:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 10, 2025
"I'm on the training staff to let me be back, to free me a little bit, but definitely before my birthday, that's a non-negotiable. I have to be back before my birthday."
Stewart's birthday is August 27.
According to an August 10 article from ESPN, Stewart added, "I feel great. I just finished working out on the court in the back. And it's really just kind of giving my leg, the bone, a little bit of time while we have it. But hoping to be back sooner than later and really just wanting to be back with my team."
After New York's Sunday contest against the Lynx, they'll have seven more regular season games before that August 27 date, and they face the Washington Mystics on August 28. So while it sounds like Stewart is going to be sidelined for a while longer, her injury doesn't seem likely to make her miss any postseason action.
Stewart's Injury Yet Another Example of an Injury-Plagued WNBA Season
There's no question that the 2025 WNBA season has been frustrating when it comes to injuries. Stewart is just one example of a top player (and top attraction) in the league who has missed a lengthy amount of time.
The most notorious example of this is with star guard Caitlin Clark, who has missed the majority of the Indiana Fever's season with various soft tissue injuries. However, other top players like Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Napheesa Collier, and Kayla Thornton have all missed at least several games with ailments to this point in the year.
While these injury woes would be the result of unfortunate luck, many are pointing to the fact that the WNBA expanded its regular season to 44 games this year from 40 in 2024 without making the actual season any longer (which has decreased the amount of rest players receive) as a potential factor in the added injuries.
The season's length is expected to be addressed in the league's next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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