Breanna Stewart exits with lower leg injury in Liberty worry

Just three games after the Liberty got Jonquel Jones back, they have another injury to worry about.

Breanna Stewart exited with 6:33 left in the first quarter and was ruled out with a lower leg injury, forcing the Liberty to complete their back-to-back against the Sparks without the two-time MVP.

It’s unclear when exactly the injury occurred, but Stewart motioned toward the bench after jogging down the court in transition before the Sparks hit an open 3-pointer — and head coach Sandy Brondello called a timeout seconds later to sub Kennedy Burke into the game.

Before walking down the tunnel, Stewart had hit a 3-pointer and collected a rebound for the Liberty, who trailed Los Angeles, 58-45, at halftime.

Stewart, averaging 19 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this year, hasn’t missed a game this season, but she underwent surgery on her right knee in March after the Unrivaled campaign ended and has navigated a year where she completely reshaped her shot profile, essentially eliminating 3s and attempting most of her shots within 10 feet of the basket.

Across three years in Brooklyn, she has missed just two games — both during the 2024 season.

After Stewart’s exit, that opened up more minutes for Kennedy Burke, Isabelle Harrison and Stephanie Talbot, with the Liberty needing to use their depth again.