The Liberty were without their two-time MVP on Saturday, but there were no longer-term worries about the status of Breanna Stewart.
“Stewie probably could have went today but it’s the smartest thing to give her a rest,” coach Sandy Brondello said before the matchup against the Sky. “Just taking time where we can. It’s a big game for us but we still have to think big picture, be smart about our players’ health as much as we can.”
That is, at the least, a positive sign for the Liberty, who will go into the Olympic break after Tuesday’s home game against the Connecticut Sun.
Stewart, along with Sabrina Ionescu, will then head to Paris to represent Team USA.
Brondello cast the decision to sit the superstar forward, whose 19.3 points per game lead the Liberty, more in terms of load management than any cause for concern.
“We’ve been three in four. Just a little injury. Give her the rest today. She’ll hopefully play next game.”
The Liberty gave Kennedy Burke her first start of the season in Stewart’s place, going with the 27-year-old instead of Kayla Thornton, who will come off the bench.
The condensed schedule — a product of the monthlong Olympic break — has been a challenge for the Liberty to navigate, along with the rest of the league.
In addition to Stewart, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton missed a third straight game on Saturday with a right knee injury.
“I suppose the Olympic break is good for her. B, she’s had some troublesome knees, I think most athletes have some nagging injuries,” Brondello said. “We’re just mindful of it. Big picture, we want B to go out there and be as close to 100 percent as we can. They’re still trying to work out what’s best for her. With the Olympic break coming up, that’s actually a good time for her to get whatever she needs. We got a lot of season to come up post-Olympics. Let’s just get her healthy and go from there.”