The New York Liberty got here into the 2025 WNBA season with a ton of expectations on their shoulders. Because the reigning champs, who in a whole lot of methods upgraded their roster within the offseason, they have been anticipated to dominate the league. For components of the season they did precisely that, spending a whole lot of the early 2025 marketing campaign within the high two of the WNBA standings, profitable each occasion at WNBA All-Star Weekend, and sustaining a profitable file.
However July and August have proved troublesome for the Liberty, and now they see themselves decrease within the WNBA standings than they’ve been in years.
The most important issue, similar to each staff within the league, has been accidents. This season’s condensed schedule has been a degree of contempt with gamers, and the accidents are proving it. Per The IX Basketball’s damage tracker, there have been 214 accidents within the WNBA this season, and there are nonetheless a number of weeks to go earlier than the common season ends. In accordance with the identical tracker, there have been a complete of 203 accidents within the 2024 season, indicating an apparent enhance in accidents from one season to the following.
The most important blow to New York’s season has been the damage to Breanna Stewart, who suffered a bone bruise in her knee on the finish of July. She was out from July 26 till Aug. 25, and New York went 5-9 in video games throughout that stretch, dropping from 2nd place within the league to fifth in a particularly tight race for playoff positioning. They’re 7.5 video games behind the Minnesota Lynx in 1st place, 1.5 video games behind Atlanta in 2nd place and Las Vegas in third, and technically tied with Phoenix in 4th. These standings will very probably change as we get right down to the ultimate days of the common season, however it’s nonetheless not an excellent place for the reigning champions to be.
On Aug. 25, Breanna Stewart introduced at shootaround that she can be enjoying in Monday evening’s Liberty sport in opposition to the Connecticut Solar, assembly her purpose from weeks in the past to be again on the courtroom by her birthday on Aug. 27. Whereas her staff has a lighter load this week, enjoying the already eradicated Connecticut Solar and soon-to-be-eliminated Washington Mystics, easing Stewart in with a minutes restriction to organize for an important sport in opposition to Phoenix later within the week was superb. Particularly given different Liberty gamers like Sabrina Ionescu (foot), Natasha Cloud (nostril), Isabelle Harrison (concussion), and Nyara Sabally (knee) have all been on the damage report this week. Getting their chief in Stewart, again on the essential time within the season will assist increase them in these final weeks earlier than the playoffs.
That’s precisely what occurred in Stewart’s return, as she went into Monday’s sport with a 20-minute enjoying time restriction. That meant the Liberty nonetheless needed to battle for the win, beating the Solar by simply 2 factors ultimately, however Stewart made a big impact. She scored 19 factors and grabbed 5 rebounds to go along with 1 block, additionally making an influence by attending to the free throw line whereas she tried to get right into a capturing rhythm. Whereas she solely shot 33% from the sphere, she tried 13 free throws, making 11, which is essential in an in depth one-possession sport.
Stewart’s absence was clearly felt on the courtroom throughout her month away. Apart from the plain incontrovertible fact that she is the veteran vocal chief for her teammates, she additionally offers a ton of output within the sport from a number of fronts. At 6’4, her protection on the rim is rock strong, however she will additionally defend the perimeter. And as versatile as Stewart is on protection, she is extra so on offense. A superb screener and curler to the basket, an ideal finisher, can draw fouls simply and make her free throws, and moreover a bit of little bit of wrestle from distance this season, can shoot the ball from principally anyplace on the courtroom. Her capacity to quietly take over or save a sport makes her elite, and her resume of accolades speaks for itself. Three WNBA Championships, two MVPs, 4 NCAA match titles, and 7 All-Star appearances simply scratch the floor of what Stewart has achieved.
Hopefully, re-integrating her into the lineup brings again some power for this Liberty staff, who’re nonetheless favorites to return to the WNBA Finals regardless of this current dip in efficiency.
