Breanna Stewart, the Most Valuable Player of the WNBA regular season and finals in 2018, is expected to miss the upcoming season after suffering a ruptured achilles tendon in her right leg during Sunday’s Euroleague Women championship game.
The Seattle Storm star was playing for Dynamo Kursk when she took a jumper with 27.2 seconds left in the first half against UMMC Ekaterinburg. Stewart appeared to land awkwardly on the foot of fellow WNBA standout Brittney Griner, who was defending her, and Stewart immediately grabbed at her lower right leg while grimacing in obvious pain.
The Storm announced the diagnosis on Wednesday, saying that Stewart will undergo surgery performed by Dr Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic at a date to be determined and expects to make a full recovery for the start of the 2020 season.
breanna stewart landed on brittney griners foot during the euroleague title game and looked in serious pain
— dynamo kursk fan account (@WEREONLIVE) April 14, 2019
not clear if it was ankle or knee but she was helped off the floor and put no weight on it pic.twitter.com/AO8ecTLtgJ
“This is a tough time for Stewie and our hearts go out to her,” said Alisha Valavanis, the team’s CEO and general manager. “The Storm family is behind her and we will support Stewie in every way we can as she begins her journey back to the court.”
The 24-year-old from upstate New York, an Olympic gold medalist who captured four NCAA championships at the University of Connecticut and a record four Final Four most outstanding player awards, is already one of the most decorated players in history.
Stewart, who averaged a league-leading 21.0 points in the European club competition, has played overseas during each of the WNBA offseasons since she was drafted with the No 1 overall pick in 2016.
Her Dynamo Kursk squad fell 91-67 after she left the game as UMMC Ekaterinburg won the title for the third time in four years.
