Liberty Star Forward Shares Rehab and Return Timeline
BROOKLYN — Breanna Stewart's birthday is coming up and she's hoping her presence is the present for her adoring New York Liberty public.
Prior to Sunday's game against the Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center, Stewart spoke publicly for the first time since enduring a lower-body injury on July 26. The seven-time All-Star, fresh off a workout in Barclays Center's practice facility and lingering around the main court prior to the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch, stated that it was a "non-negotiable" that she return by Aug. 27, the day she celebrates her 31st birthday.
"I feel great," Stewart said. "It's really just kind of giving my my leg, the bones, a little bit of time while we have it, but hoping to be back sooner [rather] than later."
Stewart has missed each of the last seven Liberty games as part of an ailing triumvirate that also features depth stars Kennedy Burke (calf) and Nyara Sabally (knee). The defending champion Liberty has gone 3-4 in that span, the latest addition being an 83-71 defeat to the Lynx on Sunday.
Stewart's departure was enforced by a leg injury in the early stages of a 101-99 defeat to the Sparks, later revealed to a bone bruise that she describe as an "irritation" of something in her knee. While no official timeline was released by the team, head coach Sandy Brondello stated that the team would allow Stewart to rest, saying it'd be "great" if she could be back by the end of this month.
New York has not been one to lean on the injury crutch amidst the rollercoaster summer slate, ruing its own discipline, effort, and fight despite several familiar and unexpected faces rising to the occasion in the wins.
Stewart gave the leftovers their props, particularly pleased with Sabrina Ionescu's expanded leadership and the in-season entry of Emma Meesseman. The self-assessing in hindsight, however, was of little consolation to the Syracuse native, who mentioned that the waiting remains the hardest part, with "cardio" and game speed in absentia being the biggest challenges at this point of the process.
"I want to be out there helping them and fighting and battling with them, that's the hardest part," Stewart said. "But they got my back, and while we're going to go through some struggles, or we went through some, it's really about being able to bounce back, and they want me to be back to helping too. [But] they don't want me to rush me either."
Beyond the injuries and struggle to get healthy in time for this fall's official championship defense, there has been a celebratory aura among the bearers of seafoam: at halftime of Sunday's game, the Liberty placed the name of franchise legend Tari Phillips in its Ring of Honor, having previously welcomed in metropolitan legends like Becky Hammon, Rebecca Lobo, and Teresa Weatherspoon.
One day before, Stewart and her wife Marta Xargay regaled their first child, four-year-old daughter Ruby with a "Paw Patrol"-themed birthday party, offering a chance at levity and reflection at a somewhat difficult time on her personal timeline.
"I think my favorite thing about watching her grow is just her independence, her want to kind of be around everything," Stewart said of Ruby, who welcomed a brother named Theo in 2023. "But also, she's a strong willed young girl, and that's what we want, is like her to kind of have this fire that nobody can contain. Sometimes not even me or Marta."
As for another kind of party, Stewart isn't selling tickets to day similar to the one Phillips had on Sunday quite. Inclusion feels inevitable, but Stewart assured Liberty fans that she's still adding to the accomplishments that would be listed in her pre-enshrinement introduction.
"We'll see," a smirking Stewart said. "A lot more to do."
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.