Wednesday night’s regular season finale for the New York Liberty just got a whole lot more stressful. Breanna Stewart is officially out of the lineup against the Atlanta Dream. She woke up today dealing with some real soreness, and that means her regular season is done before the playoffs even kick off. Talk about a gut punch.
“Soreness Crept In” As Playoff Stakes Rise
Coach Chris DeMarco confirmed the news. He said, “Some soreness crept in. A play from the last game, and then didn’t wake up feeling great. We’ve got a run here to the playoffs, just precautionary with soreness.” No one wants to risk their superstar heading into the postseason, especially when they’ve already locked up a spot. It’s a smart call, but it hurts to see her sidelined for such a critical game.
The Playoff Picture Just Got Wild
So what does this mean for the Liberty without their MVP candidate on the floor? Everything. They’ve already clinched a postseason berth, which is huge, but their seeding for the playoffs is still totally up in the air. If the Liberty drop this game to the Dream without Stewie, they’re looking at the No. 8 seed. That means a date with the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in a brutal best-of-3 series, kicking off this Sunday. Ouch.
But if the Liberty manage to pull off a win tonight, even without their star, they stay in contention for the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. That one-spot difference could mean everything, potentially putting them up against the Golden State Valkyries or the Las Vegas Aces in the first round instead. Huge difference between those matchups.
MVP Bid Concludes, Awaiting History
With Breanna Stewart ruled out, her regular season officially comes to a close. What a year she had. She finished averaging a sick 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. That’s her highest scoring average since way back in 2023, when she put up 23.0 points. And she’s not just good, she’s elite; her 20.8 points per game ranks as the sixth-most in the entire WNBA this season.
The craziest part? Her MVP campaign for 2026 is now totally in the books. Her body of work is complete. All she can do now is sit back, heal up, and wait to see if she did enough throughout the season to snag her third career MVP Award. Talk about some serious pressure.
So, tonight is massive for the Liberty’s playoff path, even without their undisputed leader. They need to find a way to win against the Dream if they want to avoid that brutal No. 1 seed matchup. For Stewart, she’s on the sidelines, waiting for that MVP call while her team fights for a better shot at the championship. Sunday starts the real fun. You watching?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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