Former WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has opted to play for the New York Liberty, she announced Wednesday on social media.
Stewart, who was the top WNBA free agent on the market this winter, made her decision known by shedding one jersey to reveal a Liberty T-shirt during a six-second video posted to her Twitter feed — complete with Alicia Keys signing about New York in the background.
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) February 1, 2023
The 6-foot-4 Stewart was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm, and she joined with retired WNBA legend Sue Bird to lead the team to championships in 2018 and 2020.
Stewart met with the Liberty, the Storm, Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics before announcing her decision. ESPN reported that Stewart made charter air travel a key factor in her decision, and the Liberty were fined $500,000 in 2022 for chartering flights for the team without league approval.
“Stewie’s free agency is the story of the WNBA at an inflection point: Players understand their value, the potential of the WNBA, and are eager partners in growing a business that has incredible momentum,” Stewart’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas of Wasserman, told ESPN in a statement Wednesday. “She owned the process and the responsibility that comes with power in ways that hopefully will impact how smart free agents of all genders approach similar opportunities.”
No contract terms have been announced.
Stewart, 28, joins former No. 1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones on the new-look Liberty.
Stewart averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 34 games with Seattle in 2022.
The four-time All-Star averaged 20.3 points and 8.6 points in 183 contests with the Storm. She was the league MVP in 2018.
The Liberty open the 2023 season in Washington, D.C., against the Mystics.
–Field Level Media