Liberty's Michaela Onyenwere Undergoes Knee Procedure

Onyenwere recently wrapped her second season in New York.

Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images (Courtesy of NY Liberty)

New York Liberty forward Michaela Onyenwere underwent a successful knee procedure on Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. 

According to a release from the team, Onyenwere's treatment included a "left knee arthroscopy with partial lateral meniscectomy." Onyenwere will remain in New York to start rehabilitation before she heads overseas to partake in Turkish competition with Beşiktaş J.K.

An arthroscopy diagnoses and treats joint problems while a meniscectomy involves the removal of a meniscus (cartilage between joints that acts as a "shock absorber", per Johns Hopkins Medicine). 

Onyenwere, 23, earned the 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year title after the Liberty welcomed her in with the sixth overall pick of that spring's draft. She was a staple in the Liberty lineup missing champion Natasha Howard, one that helped the Liberty make its way back to the WNBA postseason. The UCLA alumna's 8.6 points per game led all first-year scorers.

While Onyenwere took on a reserve role upon Howard's return and head coach Sandy Brondello's arrival this year, she partook in 34 games and averaged 4.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game. Alongside Han Xu, Onyenwere was the leading scorer of the Liberty's Game 2 loss to Chicago in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs on Aug. 19 (10 points). 

Though the Liberty fell in three games to the defending champion Sky, they improved their win total by four games from 12 to 16. 

"This year was not last year. You can't let the first drop of adversity set you back," Onyenwere said of her 2022 season. "There were a lot of growth points this year...(this year), you had to learn the game, know the reads...it was tough but it'll make me better in my career."

The WNBA playoffs continue on Thursday night, as the Sky and Connecticut Sun will do battle in a decisive semifinal showdown (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Thursday's winner moves on to face the Las Vegas Aces in the 2022 WNBA Finals. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags