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If the Liberty needed another glimpse at the evolution of Breanna Stewart, if their superstar needed another performance to demonstrate that she, still, can be just as dominant even if her new-look shot profile doesn’t mirror the one from her most dominant seasons, then Wednesday served as that. 

With a right groin injury forcing the Indiana Fever to navigate without Caitlin Clark, Stewart ensured the Liberty capitalized on the opportunity, pouring in 24 points during their 98-77 win at Barclays Center and helping them enter the All-Star break with four wins in five games.

But in a season where a career-low 21.7 percent of Stewart’s shots are 3-pointers and a career-low 21.0 percent of those attempts have gone in, Stewart again relied on attempts inside the paint — all 10 of her makes — and shot just one 3-pointer to help pace a balanced Liberty offense that shot 58 percent from the field. 

Sabrina Ionescu (15 points, season-high nine assists) and Natasha Cloud (14 points) also ensured the Fever never had a chance at mounting a comeback, but the offensive burst revolved around Stewart, who topped 20 points for just the third time in the past nine games. 

Part of Stewart’s changed shot profile, assistant coach Olaf Lange told The Post before the game, stemmed from her needing to take on more of a facilitator role.

Her “whole offensive profile is way [more] diversified,” Lange said, and in scenarios when Ionescu draws an opponent’s top defender and Cloud struggles to pierce the paint, it opened up avenues for Stewart to drive, to convert shots around the basket, to still contribute at similar levels to her MVP campaigns even if her primary method for scoring has changed. 

It helped Stewart produce a vintage scoring line Wednesday. She helped the Liberty take an eight-point lead after the first quarter and a 15-point advantage after 20 minutes. Then, to open the scoring in the second half, she collected a pass from Cloud near the left block and converted a jumper. Then, possessions later, Ionescu fed Stewart backdoor for another layup. She converted baskets out in transition, grabbed 11 rebounds and finished with her fifth double-double of the season. 

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By the time Stewart checked out with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Liberty’s lead hovered around 20 points again. Their defense limited the Fever to 38 percent shooting in the first half.

Their offense — with Stewart as its focal point — made those empty Indiana possessions matter even more, and 16 points from Kelsey Mitchell and 12 from Sophie Cunningham could only produce so much of a response. 

The new-look approach isn’t something the Liberty pinpointed or started working on during the offseason, but rather the result of adjusting to what the offense needed on the fly. Stewart opened the season in a slump again, one that March knee surgery, Lange acknowledged, could’ve contributed to. The injury impacted her knee and leg strength. It impacted her stamina, too, after playing “an entire Unrivaled season with a knee that wasn’t 100 percent,” Lange said. Stewart hasn’t missed a regular-season game, but the adjustment still took time. 

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At some point, Lange said, Stewart’s 3-point numbers will increase again. That could happen later this season.

Maybe in 2026 or another year. “But for now,” Lange said, “I think this is what it is.” 

And on nights like Wednesday, Stewart showed why that’s more than enough.