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Three key pieces from the fateful five will first the New York Liberty’s first WNBA Finals rematch of the season.
New York ruled Kennedy Burke (calf), Nyara Sabally (knee) and Breanna Stewart (leg) out for Wednesday’s showdown against the Minnesota Lynx (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). It’s the first meeting between the WNBA leaders since they staged an epic battle in last fall’s WNBA Finals, one that yielded the first postseason championship in franchise history.
The Liberty (17-8) will once again play shorthanded after missing that same trio against Dallas on Monday. New York got off to a sluggish start that saw it fall behind by as much as 30 before a spirited, if not futile, comeback created a somewhat respectable 92-82 final.
Prior to the game, head coach Sandy Brondello hinted that each player would be given time to rest as the second half of the franchise’s first championship defense continues.
Sabally and Stewart each played major roles in the victory that allowed the Liberty to raise the WNBA Finals trophy for the first time: Sabally came off the bench to post a 13-point, seven-rebound effort off the bench while Stewart had a 15-rebound, 13-point double-double in the 67-62 triumph. Having dealt with a variety of lower body injuries throughout her career, Sabally has not taken the floor since the Liberty returned from All-Star activities in Indianapolis.
Madeline Kenney of the New York Post reported that the Liberty may have to be ready to go without Burke, one of its leading sixth women for a bit, as she is now expected to miss two-to-four weeks with a calf ailment. Burke played but six minutes in Saturday’s loss to Los Angeles and was held out of the Dallas game entirely as a late scratch.
New York will reach the halfway point of a four-game road trip after Wednesday’s game. The second half will be staged in Uncasville, as the Liberty faces a weekend doubleheader against the Connecticut Sun.
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