Breanna Stewart ‘in a good place’ after Achilles injury

HARTFORD, Conn. — Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP who missed the past season because of a right Achilles tendon injury, is looking forward to testing herself against her alma mater, UConn, on Monday.

Stewart, a Seattle Storm forward, is part of the USA team that will play an exhibition game against the Huskies at XL Center (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Stewart was injured April 14, 2019, while competing for the Russian team Dynamo Kursk in the EuroLeague championship game.

That followed an incredible 2018 for Stewart in which she was MVP for the WNBA’s regular season and finals, which the Storm won. She was also the MVP for the FIBA Women’s World Cup, which the U.S. team won.

Stewart said her minutes will be limited on Monday, but she feels ready to go.

“I think the thing is just being confident,” Stewart said. “It’s not that I’m expecting to pick up right where I left off when I got injured because I was playing at a very high level. But also knowing what kind of player I am, I expect a lot from myself — no matter if I’ve played in nine months or not.”

Stewart said the hardest part of dealing with the injury was the first month or so because she was so frustrated. But her mindset changed once she focused on the rehabilitation process. She also commiserated with NBA star Kevin Durant, who suffered an Achilles tear during the NBA Finals in June.

“KD and I, we’ve talked a lot throughout this process,” Stewart said. “I’m, like, two months ahead of him, so I gave him some advice on what’s coming post-surgery. He reached out to me a couple months ago asking if I was doing certain exercises.

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