Liberty's Breanna Stewart Suffers Injury

Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty suffered an apparent non-contact injury during Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Sparks, forcing her to leave for the locker room before the midway point of the first quarter. Head athletic trainer Terri Acosta attended to her immediately after she appeared to be moving slowly following a play; she was replaced by Kennedy Burke after a timeout called by coach Sandy Brondello.

Despite not shooting to her usual standards recently, Stewart has been impactful in rebounding and assists, averaging 8.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists over the Liberty's last seven games during their longest homestand of the season. She had recorded a three-pointer and a rebound prior to her injury exit.

The Liberty (17-6), who were nearing full health with only reserve Nyara Sabally missing besides Stewart, entered the game on a five-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the WNBA. This followed a period where they lost six of nine games while Jonquel Jones was injured.

The game marked the end of the Liberty's homestand, after which they embark on a significant road trip. The trip includes games against the Dallas Wings on Monday and the Minnesota Lynx (the first of four WNBA Finals rematches) on Wednesday, concluding against the Connecticut Sun.

[[UPDATE]]: Stewart was diagnosed with a lower leg injury and ruled out for the remainder of the game.