The New York Liberty’s 2025 season ended in heartbreak. The Phoenix Mercury snuffed out their title defense with a 79-73 win in a do-or-die Game 3. After a year plagued by injuries, the Liberty leaned on their star, Breanna Stewart, who played through a sprained MCL to deliver a performance that left teammates and fans in awe.
Despite the loss, it was a night that showed why Stewart’s a legend in the making, fighting to keep her team alive when the odds were not in her favour. However, just like Ionescu demanded game-changing adjustments to save the Liberty, she didn’t hold back in praising her teammate.
Sabrina Ionescu Backed Breanna Stewart’s Gutsy Performance
Stewart was never going to sit out Game 3, even with an MCL sprain suffered in overtime of the Liberty’s Game 1 win over Phoenix. Playing through pain that would’ve sidelined most, she dropped 30 points and nine rebounds in 35 minutes, shooting 12-of-15 from the free-throw line and 2-of-3 from deep while adding two blocks and two steals.
To be honest, it was vintage Stewie with smart shot selection, relentless drives, and defensive hustle that kept New York in the fight despite trailing early. Ionescu, who scored 15 points herself, couldn’t stop raving about her teammate postgame.
“Her ability to continue to shoot, pass, rebound, defend. She’s one of the greatest to ever play the game and she’s still playing it,” the 4x WNBA All-Star said via ClutchPoints.
Breanna Stewart was playing on bummed knee and was a monster defensively and carried the 4th quarter.
— Tanya (@ScriptedTanya) September 20, 2025
Sabrina Ionescu was under the weather and playing on bummed toe. She was limping and sacrificed her body to AT’s charges. Carried the team in the 2nd Quarter that’s why it’s a…
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Sab was not wrong, though. Stewart’s effort was all the more remarkable given the Liberty’s injury-riddled season. They limped into the playoffs as the No. 5 seed with a 22-22 record, a far cry from their 2024 championship run, battling absences from key players like Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Courtney Vandersloot all year.
Sabrin Ionescu, Breanna Stewart Vows To Stay United For 2026 Season
Despite all this, the Liberty’s 2025 campaign didn’t match the magic they had during their 2024 title run. Just opposite to that, this was a sad end to a stacked roster with stars like Ionescu, Stewart, and Jonquel Jones. Injuries and inconsistent play left them as the No. 5 seed. But the locker room’s resolve didn’t waver. Minutes after the loss, Stewart declared she’s coming back to pick it up where she left off. Not too long ago, Stewart underwent a knee MRI after Liberty’s playoff opener.
However, Head coach Sandy Brondello faced heat for the team’s up-and-down year, with some questioning her rotations and late-game adjustments. Yet Stewart shut down any doubts about her coach, calling the Liberty a “resilient group” and insisting, “She has our back and we have hers.”