Breanna Stewart has an Empire State of mind, and the WNBA is officially on notice.
The two-time WNBA champion and 2018 league MVP announced on Wednesday that she is signing with the New York Liberty.
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The specifics of Stewart’s contract with the Liberty are still being worked out, according to ESPN.
The Liberty have now paired two former WNBA MVPs with star guard Sabrina Ionescu. The team swung a three-team trade for 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones two weeks ago, and both Jones and Ionescu seem excited to form a new big three with Stewart.
After sneaking into the playoffs as a No. 7 seed, the Liberty are immediately among the favorites to win the 2023 title and remain contenders for years to come.
Stewart had spent the first seven years of her WNBA career with the Seattle Storm, who drafted her No. 1 overall in 2016. She won MVP in her third season and earned her first WNBA title before missing the entirety of the 2019 WNBA season due to a torn Achilles.
WNBA
Stewart returned from the injury in championship form, earning WNBA Finals MVP in 2020. She was named an All-Star in 2021 and 2022 before entering free agency.
On top of her WNBA accolades, Stewart has shined on the collegiate and international stage. She won NCAA titles in each of her four seasons at UConn, earned two Olympic gold medals with Team USA and also has multiple titles in Europe. Off the court, she also launched her first signature sneaker with Puma.
Stewart’s move to New York marks the end of an era in Seattle. Sue Bird retired in September after two decades with the Storm, and now another franchise legend has decided to move in a different direction.