Breanna Stewart's new contract greatly helps Liberty in pursuit of first title
Breanna Stewart will be extending her stay in her native New York for at least one more season.
The Liberty and the two-time MVP forward agreed to a one-year deal on Monday, a contract that should enable the team to keep its stacked core together in 2024 for another potential run to the WNBA Finals.
Stewart joined New York in February 2023 after four years at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, four seasons at UConn and seven years with the Seattle Storm. Stewart led the Huskies to four straight national titles and then won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2016.
"Stewie" earned the 2018 MVP Award and led the Storm to WNBA championships that season and in 2020. Stewart won the Finals MVP on both occasions and has also won two Olympic gold medals for Team USA.
The former first overall pick earned her fifth All-Star honor and second MVP award in 2023, averaging career highs in points (23.0) and assists per contest (3.8) while adding 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.5 steals, 34.1 minutes and a .465/.355/.851 shooting line in the regular season.
Stewart also played in all 40 of her team's games for the first time in her career and helped lead the Liberty back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2002.
New York fell to the Las Vegas Aces in four games, making the Liberty 0-5 all-time in the championship round.
While the two-time defending champion Aces will return 2022 MVP A'ja Wilson this season, among others, Stewart's contract should help allow the group to contend for a title once again.
The rest of the Liberty core includes All-Star guards Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Ionescu, as well as 2021 MVP forward Jonquel Jones.
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