Breanna Stewart had said Wednesday morning that avoiding a trip to Phoenix for Game 3 was a “main priority” for the New York Liberty.

But that’s where they will head to try to stave off a disastrous first-round playoff exit that would dash their championship repeat hopes. To get past the Mercury on Friday, Stewart will need to look closer to herself than she did in Wednesday’s loss at Barclays Center.

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Stewart said she sprained her MCL in overtime of the series opener on Sunday. She sat out of Tuesday’s practice but was determined to play against the Mercury in Game 2 and started the game.

But Stewart was a shell of her typical self. The Liberty’s plans went awry, in large part because of Stewart’s obvious limitations.

She played only 12 first-half minutes and didn’t check in during the fourth quarter, as the game had long seemed decided in Phoenix’s favor. She posted a career playoff-low six points as the Mercury cruised to an 86-60 win.

“Stewie’s tough, she did what she could,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “I suppose the physicality, that was hard for her.”

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Stewart has been New York’s pulse all season. The Liberty had their best net rating with Stewart on the court (plus-10.4 points per 100 possessions); Stewart also had the biggest on-off swing, as New York was 11.5 points per 100 possessions worse without her on the court and 5-8 without her in the lineup.

Even though she was on the court Wednesday, Stewart wasn’t much of a factor. Her touch around the rim was off and she struggled on the move. On multiple possessions, Stewart either lost her balance and had to throw the ball away or was unable to get past a defender. Without Stewart leading the way, the Liberty’s offense stagnated. Every pass became a little more crowded, every jump shot a little bit more contested without Stewart’s gravity drawing away the defense.

Her limitations also showed on defense. During the Mercury’s game-breaking 15-0 second-quarter run, they targeted Stewart repeatedly on middle pick-and-rolls, forcing the injured New York star to navigate screens at the top of the key — a rare sight considering that Stewart is among the league’s best defenders when healthy. But “when healthy” has been a caveat applied to many players for the entirety of the Liberty season.

Phoenix scored three times in a row on that action with Satou Sabally as the ballhandler, extending its lead to 11 before Brondello gave in and took Stewart out of the game. Things didn’t improve with Emma Meesseman in Stewart’s place, as the midseason signee also struggled in ball screen coverages. By halftime, New York was down 14, and Stewart’s plus-minus was minus-14, the worst among all players.

The 14-point deficit was the Liberty’s largest in a home game this season, and they ended the contest with their lowest shooting percentage (30.2 percent) of the year.

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Despite the Liberty’s depth of talent up and down the roster, raising their floor and setting the tone consistently falls upon Stewart. Her teammates, particularly perennial All-Stars Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, should have been able to pick up the slack, but the pair combined for 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting. Ionescu uncharacteristically missed four straight free throws.

The one upside was that Stewart only played 20 minutes in the rout. With two days before the final game of the series, any extra rest will be helpful for her and the rest of the Liberty roster. Their season depends on it.

“We all know Stewie’s a champion,” Brondello said, “and she’s going to respond in the right way.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

New York Liberty, WNBA

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