PHOENIX – On Sunday, the New York Liberty traveled to Phoenix to face the Mercury and took game one on the road in overtime, 76-69. The win appeared to set the momentum for a team looking to defend its title and potentially clinch the firs round series at home on Wednesday.
However, forward Breanna Stewart went down with an apparent left knee injury she suffered in the overtime period, and it appeared to look serious. Earlier in the season, she missed 13 games due to a bone bruise on her right knee.
Two days later, head coach Sandy Brondello told reporters that she would be a “game-time decision” for the matchup on Wednesday at Barclays Center.
Breanna Stewart is at practice with a left leg sleeve. No brace. pic.twitter.com/kqsHI5Zmu8
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) September 16, 2025
Stewart did not participate in the Liberty’s Tuesday practice and was seen wearing a leg sleeve on her left leg. On a side note, Brondello used Kennedy Burke instead of Stewart, along with the rest of the starting lineup she used in Game 1.
“She’s tough,” Brondello said of Stewart Tuesday. “I think one of her superpowers is her mental toughness, so if she’s able to go, she’ll go.”
Whether Stewart plays for the Liberty or not, New York is confident in closing out the series with a sweep and advancing to the semifinals for the third straight year. At the same time, Brondello acknowledged that the Mercury will feel the urgency to win Game 2 and return to Phoenix for a winner-take-all Game 3.
“We’re ready to go. Stewie’s in. Stewie’s out. We’re ready to go. We know what’s at stake,” Brondello said. “We gotta be a desperate team and take care. We don’t want to go back to Phoenix, but they’re going to come in hungry. We know that.”
Playoff Natasha Cloud Scored 23 pts. vs. Former Team
When it comes to the postseason, guard Natasha Cloud is known for being explosive on the offensive end and also has championship experience with the Washington Mystics, having won in 2019.
She got it done in her playoff debut with the Liberty, leading the team with 23 points (9-for-12 from the field), six rebounds, and five assists. She was also tasked with guarding Kahleah Copper, limiting her to just one field goal and four points.
“Yeah, that’s probably a question you have to ask her,” Brondello said of Cloud Sunday. “I’m sure it did. I mean, this is her old team, but she’s with the New York Liberty now. I think that was just, she knows what she needs to do to come out to help us win. She was massive tonight at both ends of the floor. She had to guard (Kahleah) Copper down the other end, but she made some really timely shots, and she controlled the game for us.”
Playoff Experience: Advantage New York
Once the matchup between the Mercury and Liberty headed to overtime, New York took care of business, outscoring Phoenix, 21-12, in the fourth quarter and overtime to secure the win.
Guard Sabrina Ionescu finished the game with 16 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, and pointed out in the postgame post-season experience benefited the Liberty in overtime.
“I think we looked around and kind of realized we’ve been in that position before, with the majority of us just understanding how important overtime is, and knowing we had another gear to get to,” Ionescu said. “I’m really just proud of the way that we stuck together, we weathered the runs that they went on and ultimately found a way to win.”
Center Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 12 rebounds, helping New York out-rebound Phoenix 47-31 throughout the game. She also contributed on the defensive end with three blocked shots.
“They were attacking the basket a good bit, so I just wanted to protect the rim and then use my rebounding to be able to help us close our possessions and ultimately win,” Jones said. “So, it was extremely important, but altogether, it was a really great team effort. We got one, now we’ve got to go back to New York and get the second one.”
The New York Liberty look to close out the best-of-three series at home against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST.
