New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart has a bone bruise in her right knee, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello confirmed Wednesday before the defending WNBA champions lost 100-93 to the Minnesota Lynx.
Brondello said there is no firm timetable for when Stewart will return to action.
"We want to be smart with it," Brondello told reporters. "If we can get her back at the end of August, I think that's great. It's big picture ... so when she's ready. But keep it fresh for the playoffs. I know she'll be back before then. How early she gets back before the end of the [regular] season, I don't know."
Stewart was injured early in the Liberty's 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday. She missed Monday's 92-82 loss at Dallas.
A two-time WNBA MVP, Stewart, who turns 31 on Aug. 27, has averaged 20.6 points and 8.5 rebounds for her nine-season career. The No. 1 pick in 2016 after winning four national championships at UConn, Stewart won two WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm before joining the Liberty in 2023. She missed the entire 2019 season with an Achilles injury.
Stewart, who is averaging 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds this season, had played in every Liberty game in 2025 before Saturday's injury. She was sidelined shortly after fellow post player Jonquel Jones returned to the Liberty lineup last week. Jones has missed 12 games this season with injuries.
New York has been battling various injuries all season but remains in second place in the WNBA at 17-8 behind Minnesota (22-5). Wednesday's game was the first of four regular-season meetings between the Lynx and Liberty, who battled in a five-game WNBA Finals series this past year.