The New York Liberty have made one of the biggest signings of the WNBA offseason simply by retaining their own star. The team re-signed star forward Breanna Stewart, ensuring the two-time MVP’s future with the league’s reigning champions.
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Stewart now becomes the 13th-highest-paid player in the WNBA with her one-year, $208,400 contract. The 30-year-old wasn’t able to come to terms on a long-term agreement with her current club, but this deal with the Liberty does make her the highest-paid player on the team, surpassing Sabrina Ionescu’s $205,030 salary.
The Liberty made bringing back Stewart a top priority after the six-time All-Star posted another MVP-worthy campaign in her second season with the franchise. While unable to match the elite production of A’ja Wilson, Stewart put together a very impressive individual season, averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
Most notably, though, Stewart was able to lead the Liberty to their first championship in franchise history. Stewie led New York in scoring in both the regular season and playoffs en route to being selected as Finals MVP.
Still firmly in the prime of her career, Stewart clearly believes that the Liberty offer her the best chance of competing for another title. Playing alongside fellow All-Stars Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, Stewart doesn’t have to do it all for the Liberty, even though she is clearly a top talent in the association.
It never looked like Breanna Stewart was leaving the Liberty
Breanna Stewart was the top free agent available on the market this offseason, but the 2022 scoring champion made it clear that the Liberty were the only place for her. The team was able to keep their championship core together in hopes of repeating as champions next season.
Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb explicitly stated that retaining their leader topped their to-do list. “Bringing Stewie back to the Liberty was our top priority this offseason,” Kolb said in a statement.
Kolb further stated, “Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable—she’s not only one of the best and most accomplished players in the world, but a leader whose relentless drive is foundational to the standard we continue to build upon in New York.”
With the Finals MVP under contract for the next year, the Liberty can now focus on the task at hand. Only three teams in WNBA history have won back-to-back championships, but if all goes right for this talented New York squad, they could become the fourth.
