For the primary time since present process knee surgical procedure, Breanna Stewart totally participated in a Liberty coaching camp apply on Tuesday.
“It’s really good when we can get our best player back,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello stated after apply. “She looks great. We’ll keep building her up over these next days and make sure she’s feeling comfortable getting into that first game.”
Stewart stays on observe to take part within the Liberty’s season opener in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Heart on Might 17. The primary milestone was getting the two-time MVP again on the Barclays Heart apply court docket after present process a minor scope on her proper meniscus in March.
The star ahead underwent the process shortly after the inaugural season of Unmatched, the 3-on-3 winter basketball league Stewart co-founded alongside Lynx star Napheesa Collier.
In 14 video games performed throughout the brand new league’s season, Stewart averaged 19.1 factors, 11.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals for the Mist.
Now that field is checked. Subsequent is ensuring the knee is able to go in time for the opener in opposition to A’ja Wilson’s Aces squad.
That checkpoint seems to be prefer it’ll be cleared, too.
“She’s ready to go,” Brondello stated.
Stewart now’s getting into her ninth WNBA season and taking part in her third Liberty camp.
It’s a special group in camp, contemplating the absences of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (damage), Courtney Vandersloot (left by way of free company) and Kayla Thornton (left by way of enlargement draft). Stewart, although, isn’t letting the obstacles get in entrance of a title protection that begins in lower than two weeks.
“We’re just locked in to whose here now,” she stated. “The good, the bad, the different — like obviously feeling for [Laney-Hamilton] for having to be out and gonna miss Sloot — but that’s the difference of one season to the next.”
On a optimistic notice, new addition Natasha Cloud might help fill the void of Laney-Hamilton’s perimeter protection and veteran presence; French sparkplug Marine Johannes is taking part in her first full Liberty coaching camp in her fourth season with the franchise; and new function gamers (Isabelle Harrison and Rebekah Gardner) are getting accustomed to the brand new workforce.
“Excited for the new pieces that we do have here and making sure it’s really important to get them integrated and feeling comfortable with what we do here as a team. Like culture-wise but also on the court.”
Regardless that Tuesday was Stewart’s personal first full day, she feels the workforce is bringing the precise power after Day 7 of camp.
“I think camp has been really intense. I think very intentional,” she stated. “Making sure that people are aware of the spacing. Not having back-to-back drives, [knowing] when we’re cutting, where we’re cutting, why we’re cutting. There’s a reason behind all the madness.”
