New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart is targeting a return to action by the end of August, she told reporters Sunday ahead of her team’s Finals rematch against the Minnesota Lynx. Stewart has been out since July 26 with a right knee bone bruise.
“I feel great. I just finished working out on the court in the back,” Stewart said. “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.
“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 will turn 31 on Aug. 27, a timeline that would see her miss at least seven more games, including the final two Finals rematches with the Lynx and road games against the Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream.
Stewart was injured minutes into the Liberty’s last-second loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on July 26. She drove to the basket and went up for a contested layup that did not go down, and seemed fine as she made her way back down the court. Then, suddenly, she pulled up and asked for a sub. She checked out of the game and has not played since.
After undergoing imaging, Stewart was diagnosed with a bone bruise in her right knee. At the time, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said the team would be cautious with their superstar forward and also pointed toward a return by late August.
“We want to be smart with it,” Brondello said in late July. “If we can get her back at the end of August, I think that’s great. It’s big picture … so when she’s ready. But keep it fresh for the playoffs. I know she’ll be back before then. How early she gets back before the end of the [regular] season, I don’t know.”
Stewart, who made her seventh All-Star appearance earlier this season, was averaging 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks before her injury.
Including the game in which she was injured, the Liberty lost their first four outings without Stewart. Since then, however, they’ve won three in a row, thanks in large part to the arrival of former Finals MVP Emma Meesseman. Entering Sunday, the Liberty are in second place at 20-10.