DeWanna Bonner Laughs Off Breanna Stewart Injury News Before Liberty vs Mercury Game
New York Liberty star and former WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart suffered a left knee injury during her team's September 14 game against the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
The injury occurred as the Liberty were pulling away from Phoenix in overtime of that Game 1 contest. Soon after the injury occurred, Stewart could be seen in tears on New York's bench, which had many fearing the worst for one of the league's best players.
it's not looking good, folks pic.twitter.com/56xwZ3FqGS
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) September 14, 2025
One day later, it came out that Stewart had suffered an MCL sprain in her left knee. While this is obviously not ideal for her or for the Liberty, it's a lot better than some of the alternatives.
That said, nobody could have expected Stewart to suit up for the Liberty and Mercury's next game, which is on September 17. Yet, when speaking with the media on Wednesday morning, Stewart revealed that that's exactly what she intends to do.
"I mean, I wanted to make sure I tried [the knee] in shootaround. So, barring anything crazy happening between now and then, that's my plan [to play]," Stewart said, per an X post from Desert Wave Media. "But like, I just want to make sure from my nap and feel like s***."
Stewart also noted that her tears in the sideline Sunday were the result of her not knowing what the injury was and fearing it was something more serious.
Natasha Cloud Shows Breanna Stewart Love for Decision to Play
Stewart is putting a lot on the line in order to help her team advance in the playoffs on Wednesday, which will earn her a ton of respect and acclaim throughout the league. It has certainly earned her the admiration of her teammate Natasha Cloud, who sent a strong message about Stewart after her team's shootaround.
"That's one tough m***********," Cloud said of Stewart, per an X post from Desert Wave Media. "I'm excited. That's one of our engines behind the team, right? And so she was such a huge piece for us all season, but especially in Game 1... It's a huge relief for us."
New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud on Breanna Stewart’s toughness.
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) September 17, 2025
Stewart – QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee) – plans to play in Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/1e2Tqa5uCl
DeWanna Bonner Doesn't Sound Impressed by Breanna Stewart Playing
However, Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner doesn't seem to think much of Stewart playing on Wednesday.
"No idea," Bonner said with a laugh when told that Stewart was playing on Wednesday, per Desert Wave Media. "Didn't know she was playing tonight until you just said that, so I guess, kudos to her. It's the playoffs, so I don't expect anything less. They want to win, so yeah."
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner found out Breanna Stewart – QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee) – plans to play in Game 2 from reporters at Wednesday’s shootaround.#WNBA pic.twitter.com/jTL2lOncK0
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) September 17, 2025
It will be interesting to see how Stewart looks on the court while managing this MCL injury.
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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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