Breanna Stewart, the backbone of the reigning WNBA Champion New York Liberty, is returning for the 2025 season.
The forward averaged 20.4 points per game and led the Liberty to an absolutely dominant 32-8 season in 2024.
STEWIE’S CAREER BEFORE NEW YORK
Stewart began her career with the Seattle Storm as the first overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft. She played for Seattle until 2023 when she made the switch to the Liberty for three main reasons:
- The move closer to home: Stewie was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, and was ready to return to her home state. It’s also no secret that New York is basketball territory, and Stewart wanted to join that community.
- The growth of the WNBA: Stewart saw the Liberty’s potential and wanted to win them a championship. She believed that moving to another team would change the competition and make the league the best it could be.
- The end of the Sue Bird era: Sue Bird, a legendary guard for the Storm, retired after playing in the WNBA for 22 years. After her retirement, Seattle attempted to redefine its culture and its players to accommodate the loss of its starting point guard.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As the current fourth-leading scorer in the WNBA, Stewart would most likely be accepted anywhere she wants to play. The 30-year-old is a two-time MVP, 2016 All-Rookie, six-time All-Defensive, 2022 Scoring Champ, three-time WNBA Champ, and has many more accomplishments.
BREANNA STEWART’S ROLE IN THE 2024 SEASON
Although Breanna Stewart played a critical role in the team’s progress last season, she had a lot of help from her other starters.
The remaining four were Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Courtney Vandersloot, and Sabrina Ionescu. Leonie Fiebich was also a large spark off the bench.
This group was a well-oiled machine under Stewie’s leadership. She led the team in MPG (32.7), PPG (20.4), SPG (1.7), and RPG (15.4).
In the fifth and final game of the championship series, the New York Liberty and their opponent, the Minnesota Lynx, were tied with a record of 2-2. The game that would decide it all was pushed into overtime when Stewart sank her free throws, tying it up 60-60.
After regulation, Fiebich and Nyara Sabally brought the score up to 65. Stewart sealed the deal with two more free throws.
WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR BREANNA STEWART
It seems like Stewart has found her forever home. She is currently an unrestricted free agent, so the Liberty made the smart move to deem her a core player. This way, there is no chance that Stewart will sign with another team for 2025.
There isn’t any reason to leave, given that she only has good things to say about the team. Now that she and her wife — former WNBA guard Marta Xargay — have settled down and started a family of their own, Breanna Stewart might be locked in with the Liberty for the rest of her career.
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