Liberty star Breanna Stewart didn’t skip a beat Tuesday.
Sure, she may have been out until 2 a.m. after making her Met Gala debut alongside Liberty teammates Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones and team owner Clara Wu Tsai on Monday night.
But Stewart woke up promptly at 7 a.m. and took her 3-year-old daughter, Ruby, to school before heading to Barclays Center, where she received the green light from the Liberty’s training camp to be integrated into more live action.
Tuesday’s practice was a step in the right direction for the two-time league MVP as the defending champions prepare for Friday’s preseason opener against the Connecticut Sun.
Early returns from Stewart’s first full-go practice were positive.
“Really good when you get one of our best players back,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “Just what she brings with her movement on and off the ball, she looks great.”
The Liberty have been taking a cautious approach to Stewart’s ramp-up process after she had a cleanup procedure on her knee in March.
Stewart said she initially injured her knee in the Liberty’s title-clinching Game 5 win this past October and dealt with some lingering discomfort during Unrivaled’s inaugural season.
Stewart had the minor scope on her right meniscus March 13 to ensure she could play freely this season and help put the Liberty in the best possible position to defend their 2024 title.
Brondello said the plan is to continue “building up” Stewart’s workload over the next few days.
“[We want to] make sure she’s feeling comfortable heading into that first game,” Brondello said.
Whether she’ll play in the preseason opener later this week wasn’t immediately clear.
Stewart is heading into her ninth WNBA season and third with the Liberty. As each year goes by, though, Stewart has constantly found ways to sustain her two-way excellence.
That’s why the Liberty aren’t concerned about Stewart’s gradual progression throughout preseason.
“When you have greatness about you, you realize it’s no accident why she’s great,” Brondello said. “Because it’s not just coming to training camp and just working out here. It’s all the everything that goes around behind the scenes, everything even you don’t see the preparation that goes into her being one of the greatest of all times. And it’s special and she holds herself to a high level and we never really have to push her because she’s the hardest on herself but she knows the energy and how she plays will help the players around her.”