The New York Liberty are stuck in a weird spot right now. On one side, they should be hyped after grabbing a huge Game 1 win in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. But on the other hand, that joy didn’t last long because Breanna Stewart, their best player, went down with a left knee injury. The moment she limped off, you could feel the air sucked out of the arena. After the game, coach Sandy Brondello summed it up perfectly: “We’ll just be hoping that she’ll be ok.” No updates, no timeline, just that cloud of uncertainty hanging over everything. So the Liberty is caught between celebrating the win and worrying about life without Stewie. And honestly, without her, this playoff run suddenly feels way tougher.

News has now surfaced that Breanna Stewart is undergoing an MRI and further testing today on her left knee, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. That leaves the Liberty staring at the biggest question of all: who steps up if Stewart is sidelined for an extended stretch? One thing’s for certain: Sabrina Ionescu’s job just got a whole lot tougher.

According to Caroline Fenton and Isis Young, appearing on Yahoo Sport’s YouTube channel, there will be added pressure on Sabrina Ionescu to carry the team’s offensive burden. “It’s how do you strategically try to replace that (Breanna Stewart’s impact)? And like you said, you don’t want Sabrina Ionescu playing another 40. Can she even play another 40? Because I think the biggest, you know, red flag that that would bring up for the New York Liberty is if they go home. Let’s say Sabrina plays another 40; let’s say they lose that game, they go back to Phoenix. That’s another long road trip where you’re traveling three different time zones and now one of your star players is down with an injury.”

She further added, “So now you’re down Breanna Stewart. You have Sabrina, who’s played 40-plus the last two games, and they’ve gone to Phoenix, back to New York. Now, on the way back to Phoenix, assuming this series does go to a Game 3, now you’re gassed.” 

For context, Ionescu logged 43 minutes in that overtime win against the Mercury on Sunday. And when these teams meet again in New York without Stewart, the edge might just swing Phoenix’s way. Why? Because the Liberty have been unbeatable this season when Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu are all healthy and on the floor together. The problem? That’s only happened 13 times. Without their full “Big Three,” the record slips to a worrying 15-17. So, if the Liberty drops Game 2, it really wouldn’t be much of a surprise.

And if that happens, the Liberty will be staring at another trip to Arizona, with Sabrina once again logging heavy minutes. She’s averaging 18.2 points per game this season, second only to Stewart, so it’s almost guaranteed she’ll have to carry the scoring load. That could mean three straight 40-minute outings if this series goes to a Game 3. But here’s the concern. What is the guarantee that Sabrina doesn’t get injured? Remember, she just returned from a toe injury that sidelined her for four straight games, and she’s already dealt with ankle issues earlier this season.

It’ll be fascinating to see how the Liberty adjust without Breanna Stewart, but one thing’s for sure heading into Game 2: there’s one player who won’t need any extra motivation. She’ll be out there with something personal to prove against the Mercury.

Can Breanna Stewart’s teammate inspire the Liberty again?

It becomes personal when a team you see your long-term future with suddenly decides to trade you. This is exactly what happened with Natasha Cloud. She was traded to the Connecticut Sun in a package to bring Alyssa Thomas to Phoenix, and she wasn’t even aware of it until she found out via social media. “The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, to say the least,” she had said at the time. “I think for the public view, if this isn’t proof enough of the business of the NBA, the WNBA… this is what it is. It’s really hard to be loyal to organizations in this situation when you can just up and move no matter what.”

Cloud signed with the Liberty in the offseason, and you just knew revenge was on her mind. In Game 1, she made sure to let Phoenix feel it. She put up a game-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, grabbed six boards, handed out five assists, and got three steals. To put that in perspective, Cloud became the first WNBA player since Nneka Ogwumike in 2016 to record at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 75% shooting in a playoff game.

So yes, a lot of the offensive load will fall on Sabrina, but you can never count out players hungry to prove their worth. Cloud could easily explode for a second straight game, and honestly, no one would be surprised. If she steps up again, it not only gives New York a real shot but also allows Sabrina to catch a breather while Stewie’s return date remains uncertain.

What do you think? Can Cloud step up and share the offensive load with Sabrina until Stewie makes her return? Drop your thoughts in the comments.