TNew York Liberty star forward Breanna Stewart underwent successful minor surgery on her right meniscus, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN. Stewart posted an Instagram message after the procedure.
“Might or might not retire the leg sleeve, but definitely getting rid of all that tape, iykyk. “S/o to the gang getting me through unrivaled and Dr. Weber for getting me right. See you in the W😉”
Former WNBA MVP Undergoes Knife, How Much Time Will The Liberty Star Forward Miss?
Stewart’s procedure comes two days after the two-time WNBA MVP was eliminated in Unrivaled’s 1 v 1 tournament by Washington Mystics’ forward Aaliyah Edwards (12-0). Stewart and Edwards were teammates on the Mist Club that missed Unrivaled playoffs with a 5-9 record. Six teams competed in the league co-founded by Stewart and Minnesota star forward Napheesa Collier,
Stewart finished the 3-on-3 season with a double-double, averaging 19.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 14 games for Mist. However, Stewart struggled shooting the ball—failing to hit 50% of her shots in all but five appearances—and was not a first—or second-team all-league selection.
The unrivaled playoffs run March 16-17. No. 2 seed Rose BC, led by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, faces Kayla McBride‘s No. 3 seed Laces BC, while Collier’s top-seeded Lunar Owls tangles with fourth-seeded Vinyl BC, led by Aliyah Boston. Both semifinals are on Sunday night in Medley, Florida, with the finals on Monday night.
Philippou said Stewart is expected to be ready when New York opens training camp on April 27. Today’s procedure is Stewart’s first semiserious issue knee issue since undergoing a minor left Achilles procedure that cost her the final three games of the 2021 campaign for the Seattle Storm. She missed all of the 2019 campaign after tearing her right Achilles.
What Did The Liberty Do In The Offseason, Thus Far?
While Stewart didn’t have a great 3-on-3 season, the 6-4 veteran was her typical dominant self while leading the Liberty to their first WNBA crown. Stewart followed up her 2023 WNBA MVP season by earning all-WNBA honors this past season. She also finished third in WNBA MVP voting and was an all-Defensive first-team selection, compiling 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks.
Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones led the way for New York’s historic 2024 season. The Liberty tied a franchise record with 32 regular-season wins and was a No.1 seed since the WNBA revamped its playoff format. The Liberty swept Atlanta (3-1) in the first round of the playoffs. They then dispatched the Los Vegas Aces in four games to advance to the WNBA finals for a second straight season before defeating the Lynx in five to win the WNBA title.
New York lost Kayla Thornton to the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft. The Liberty then saw 36-year-old point guard Courtney Vandersloot return to Chicago via free agency.
However, New York’s other unrestricted free agent, Kennedy Burke, re-signed with the Liberty on a one-year, $78,831 training camp contract. Burke, who did not play in the league in 2023, averaged 3.4 points while shooting .409/.259/.679 in 12.1 minutes over 38 games.
What’s Next For the Liberty?
New York has seven players under contract for the 2025 season. While Stewart is not officially signed, she didn’t re-up with the Liberty until April last season. New York has tendered a qualifying offer, so they are the only team able to negotiate with her. Ionescu, Jones, Betnijah Laney, Nyara Sabally, Marquesha Davis and Leonie Fiebich.
Stewart will likely make around $220,000 this upcoming season, meaning that the Liberty will have at least $450,000 in cap space to sign four or five more players before the season. The Liberty already has Isabelle Thornton, Raquel Carrera, Rebekkah Gardner, Esmery Martinez, Kaitlyn Davis, and Jaylyn Sherrod in tow on camp contracts.
New York owns the No. 7 and 38 picks in the upcoming draft. The Liberty also has outstanding qualifying offers to Ivana Dojkic and Marine Johannes.
Photo Courtesy © Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
