By DOUG FEINBERG
NEW YORK — Breanna Stewart is feeling better after suffering a bone bruise in her right knee late last month and hopes to be back by the end of this month.
The two-time WNBA MVP hurt her knee in the Liberty’s 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on July 26 and talked before New York’s loss to Minnesota on Sunday. Her team faces a Sparks team that has momentum in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
“I feel great. I just finished working out on the court in the back,” Stewart said. “And it’s really just kind of giving my leg, the bone a little bit of time while we have it. But hoping to be back sooner than later and really just wanting to be back with my team.”
Stewart has been rehabbing the injury and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said she thought her star forward could be back by the end of August to help the Liberty in defending its NBA title.
“I feel like this is the hardest part for me because I’ve been out. Like I’ve been out, but I’m not usually out when I can go back in. So I want to be back,” Stewart said.
The Lynx are 3-4 since the injury, including a pair of losses to the Minnesota Lynx in WNBA finals rematches, but are second to Minnesota in the the standings.
The Sparks, seeking their first playoff appearance since 2020, have won eight of their last 10 games and are a half game behind the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries who are occupying the seventh and eighth playoff spots. The Sparks are coming off a big victory over Seattle Sunday.
Stewart said she wanted to be back before her birthday on Aug. 27.
“I’m on the training staff to let me be back to free me a little bit. But definitely, like, before my birthday,” she said.
Stewart celebrated her daughter Ruby’s fourth birthday on Saturday, taking her to a trampoline park.
“I wasn’t planning on being injured, so it’s a little bit less than ideal,” she said.
Stewart felt the injury in her knee in the loss to Los Angeles. She had three points and a rebound and the Sparks won at the buzzer on a shot by Rickea Jackson.
“It was like when I stepped, I just like felt something in my knee a little bit, but I don’t know, I think I just irritated it,” she said.
A seven-time All-Star, Stewart is averaging 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Stewart was disappointed that she will miss all the games with Minnesota in a WNBA Finals rematch as the two teams play four times in a three-week span.
“I hate this, but I’ll be on the bench,” she said.