The New York Liberty have officially played 10 games without their star forward, Breanna Stewart. After losing the first three Stewart-less matchups, they won the next three consecutive games. Since then, it's been a back-and-forth battle — overall going 4-6.
In late July, during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Stewart left the game early in the first quarter with a leg injury. After the game, it was confirmed that she avoided a more severe injury, but there was still no firm timeline for her return.
There's no hiding how crucial Stewie is to this New York team. She's averaging 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season. The Liberty currently sit at No. 3 in the WNBA standings, but have a few teams chasing them down for their spot. Stewart's return to this team would be huge in their fight for playoff positioning.
Is Breanna Stewart playing tonight?
Unfortunately, the Liberty will be without Breanna Stewart again tonight. But some good news regarding her injury was delivered yesterday.
Coach Brondello on Breanna Stewart's return to practice, via @MylesEhrlich:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 18, 2025
"She looked good. We didn't really go live, so we'll keep building her up these next few days. ... Hopefully we can get her back [soon]."
Yesterday, Stewart finally returned to practice - which is a great sign. She also gave a timeline for her return in an interview with the Associated Press. She stated, "I’m on the training staff to let me be back to free me a little bit. But definitely, like, before my birthday." She will celebrate her 31st birthday on August 27th, which coincides with two home games for the Liberty. There's a chance Stewie could be celebrating both her birthday and return to the court with the fans in Barclays Center. Nonetheless, a clearer picture of when she hopes to return should leave fans feeling optimistic.
As for tonight, this New York team will weather the storm that is the Minnesota Lynx, yet again. This will be their fourth meeting with Minnesota since Stewart's injury. They have yet to win against them this season. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has also been inactive for each matchup between the two, and will be out again tonight. This is not how fans imagined the Finals rematch games going this season, but it has been interesting to watch each team figure things out without their stars.
In the Liberty's meeting with the Lynx on Saturday, they only lost by 6 points - the closest they've been all season to claiming the win. So, maybe tonight will be the night as they're back in front of their home crowd.