The last contest between the Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty came on July 26 — in which L.A. won a 101-99 road thriller to pull off a then-league-best fifth straight win in buzzer-beating fashion.

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart is targeting a return to action by the end of August, she told reporters Sunday ahead of her team's Finals rematch against the Minnesota Lynx. Stewart has been out since July 26 with a right knee bone bruise.

She'll turn 31 years old on her birthday, still near the peak of her powers. Stewart is one of the best winners in the history of sports, from Cicero-North Syracuse High School to the University of Connecticut and then on to the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty in the WNBA.