Tag: Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart wins WNBA MVP by a historically tight margin over A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas

Breanna Stewart is a certified baller!

“Stew York City,” stand up. After the closest race in WNBA history, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart is the 2023 Most Valuable Player.

The voting race for MVP was a gauntlet down the stretch, involving the upper echelon of league talent. Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas made outstanding cases for why they should win. Only 13 points separated Stewart and Wilson, and only seven votes separated Stewart and Thomas — the tightest three-way voting margin in league history, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Ultimately, voters chose “Stewie” for her ability to light up New York and the league.

Her quest for MVP started with the offensive prowess that landed her second-to-only Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd for the WNBA single-season scoring record.

This season, Stewart averaged 23 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. With the help of her leadership, the Liberty steamrolled their way to a franchise-best record of 32-8 and a Commissioner’s Cup win.

Stewart was also a defensive force to be reckoned with, as she averaged 1.57 blocks and 1.45 steals per game. Her disruption on the court earned her a WNBA All-Defensive team selection.

With efforts like that, the league couldn’t help but notice her magic.

Truthfully, Stewart is creating a resume that feels almost unreal.

In addition to the most 40-point games in a season and the most points scored in 30 minutes or less in league history, she is a two-time WNBA champion, a two-time WNBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and now has two MVP trophies.

As the kids say, it’s lit. We have a lit-thuation happening! (That was probably too much, but I love a good pun.) Stewie is a hooper, and this award reflects that — hats off to you, Breanna, and the Liberty.

The celebration is flowing somewhere, and  Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” is blasting.

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Here’s what the AP voters absolutely got right and wrong for its 2023 WNBA awards

The AP WNBA awards are out and something don’t make sense.

The WNBA regular season slate ended Sunday, giving players and coaches one final opportunity to state their case for why they should be considered among the league’s best talent.

Following the end of the season, a 12-member media group from the Associated Press votes on awards such as Most Valuable Player (MVP), Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), Coach of the Year (COY), and more. These awards precede the league awards that will be announced during post-season play, with the coveted league MVP award announced on September 26.

Here’s what the AP voters absolutely got right and wrong for its 2023 WNBA awards:

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd just obliterated the WNBA single-season scoring record

The WNBA is full of ballers who do nothing but break records.

In the WNBA’s 27th season, the history books are not only being rewritten, they’re being obliterated.

The league is growing at a tremendous pace, gathering the attention of fans along the way. For example, the WNBA draft audience increased by 42 percent between 2022 and 2023, and midseason viewership on platforms like ESPN was up 46percent, averaging 548,000 viewers per game.

More eyes on the sport mean more people see history made in real-time. In a season that saw future hall of famer Diana Taurasi hit 10,000 career points, paving the way for future generations, it’s only fitting that another record of hers fell.

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd all have resumes as long as a basketball court, but they are pursuing greatness just like Taurasi, and greatness stops for no one.

All three broke the WNBA single-season scoring record (860 points) in a photo finish to see who could walk away with the crown. Ultimately, Seattle’s “Gold Mamba” fought through injuries to make it happen. It’s honestly an incredible feat and should be celebrated.

She is, as the kids say, an absolute “dawg.”

The Las Vegas Aces are still the superteam to beat in the WNBA and don’t you forget it

The Las Vegas Aces are WNBA champions for a reason.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Mike Sykes. 

The WNBA still runs through Las Vegas and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon if the league’s “super team” faceoff from Thursday night is any indication.

The Aces and Liberty went head-to-head for the first time this season last night. We’ve all been waiting on this matchup for months, salivating just thinking about it like a kid in a candy store. These two are the clear favorites throughout the league to make it to the WNBA Finals. And why wouldn’t they be? The rosters are stacked.

On one side you’ve got a squad led by A’ja Wilson. Behind her are three star guards Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum. Oh, yeah, and they signed Candace Parker in the offseason to boot.

But then, on the other, you’ve got Breanna Stewart — who might be the league’s best player — along with Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Courtney Vandersloot and a bunch of talent behind them.

This matchup is the stuff of dreams, man. These are two of the most talented teams that we’ve ever seen in the WNBA with the two best players in the league on their rosters. Thursday night two prize fighters going head to head in the ring, at last. We’d all been waiting so long for it.

And then the Aces just had to go in and tear the Liberty apart. They beat New York 98-81.

We had a close first half, sure. But it never truly looked like the Aces struggled. The Liberty on the other hand? Man, was it hard for them to get buckets.

Breanna Stewart shot an uncharacteristic 6-of-15 from the floor. Ionescu only scored eight points and could only shoot two 3-point attempts. Betnijah Laney’s -16 plus-minus in the box score was the best out of every player in the starting lineup. New York was absolutely dismantled.

The Aces looked like champions. That makes sense because, well, that’s what they are. They know how to play together — the core has been together for years at this point. It shows. There’s a reason this team will probably set the league’s wins record.

The Liberty will probably be better the next go-round. These teams play each other three times in August. I don’t expect the matchup to be this lopsided again.

Now, once again, I cannot wait to see it.

Quick Hits: James Harden on the move? … NASCAR taking it to the streets … That’s a whole lotta hail … and more.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

— Our Charles Curtis has seven potential trade destinations for James Harden, who somehow has decided he wants to be traded. Again.

— Here are six things to know about NASCAR’s first-ever street race coming to downtown Chicago, from our Michelle Martinelli.

— THIS IS A WHOLE LOT OF HAIL ON COORS FIELD. WHAT IN THE WORLD?

— Charles Barkley surprising Ernie Johnson by giving him the news that he’s going into the broadcast Hall of Fame is so cool. Cory Woodruff has the moment here.

Be kind to one another.

Breanna Stewart makes history in EuroLeague Women’s Final

Stewart also received the Final Four MVP en route to her second EuroLeague Championship.

Breanna Stewart made history in EuroLeague Women’s Final on Sunday.

Stewart, who plays for Fenerbahçe Alagöz Holding in Turkey, scored 35 points in the championship — the most points in a final. Stewart surpassed legendary WNBA and EuroLeague player Diana Taurasi’s mark of 31.

This was also the first title for Fenerbahçe.

Stewart received the Final Four MVP and her second EuroLeague Championship. Her first came with Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2021. Ekaterinburg is the same team Brittney Griner played for starting in 2014. Griner was unlawfully detained in Russia in 2022 while returning to play for the team.

Stewart also plays for the New York Liberty of the WNBA where she has garnered success.

Fenerbahçe boasts many impressive players who also play in the WNBA: Satou Sabally of the Dallas Wings, Kayla McBride of the Minnesota Lynx and Courtney Vandersloot of the New York Liberty.

Emma Meesseman of the Chicago Sky also is on the roster and notched her fifth EuroLeague title. Messeman is chasing the record (6) for most EuroLeague titles in the modern era. The record is shared by Taurasi, Spanish star Alba Torrens and retired Russian player Natalia Vieru.

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USC’s Okako Adika picked No. 30 by New York Liberty in WNBA draft

Okako Adika is now a teammate of Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and Sabrina Ionescu with the WNBA title favorites.

Some professional basketball players are superstars. Others are central role players. Still others are just along for the ride. USC’s Okako Adika hopes to become a central role player in the WNBA, but in 2023, she probably isn’t going to log a ton of minutes for her first professional team.

That’s okay. She landed on the best roster in the WNBA, gaining an immediate chance to become a champion.

It will be hard to bet against the New York Liberty this upcoming NBA season. Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot joined the franchise in free agency, creating a superteam with Sabrina Ionescu in the Big Apple.

Okako Adika, picked at No. 30 by the Liberty in the 2023 WNBA draft on Monday night, probably won’t be a central rotation piece on a roster which is this deep and loaded. However, she gets to learn how to play professional basketball from the best in the business. It’s an exciting opportunity for a USC standout who hit big shots this past season and played great defense for a Trojan team which reached the Women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.

Adika joins Kadi Sissoko as a USC WNBA draft pick in 2023. Sissoko went one spot ahead of Adika at No. 29 to the Phoenix Mercury.

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Suns’ Kevin Durant, Chris Paul drop by Athletes Unlimited games in Dallas

Athletes Unlimited raised $30 million in new funding at the end of 2022 and Durant was part of the diverse investor groups.

Phoenix Suns players Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and T.J. Warren watched some women’s basketball games while they were in Dallas before their own game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The three stopped by Athletes Unlimited to watch women’s professional basketball players light up the court. The Suns beat the Mavericks and it could have been because the trio picked up some luck from Athletes Unlimited players.

Durant is an advisory board member of the league and, more recently, an investor. Athletes Unlimited raised $30 million in new funding at the end of 2022 and Durant was part of the diverse investor groups.

“We have been advisors for AU since the very beginning, and we’re excited to be a part of this capital raise,” Durant said in an Athletes Unlimited press release. “Athletes Unlimited is at the forefront of women’s sports and an inspiration for how sports leagues can thrive with an athlete-first business model.”

Durant consistently brings women’s professional basketball to the forefront across his social media. When Athletes Unlimited announced a renewed partnership with Nike, Durant shared the news with his 20.8 million followers on Twitter.

Durant is vocal about his support for the women’s side of the game and reached out to the Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart to urge her to sign with the New York Liberty during free agency so they could be in the same city. Shortly after Stewart signed with the Liberty, Durant was traded to the Suns.

When he got to Phoenix, a touching video was shared on the Phoenix Mercury’s social media account of Durant and WNBA superstar and Olympic champion Brittney Griner embracing. Griner was detained in a Russian prison while playing basketball abroad. After months of negotiation, she was finally released.

This embrace seems to say: “Welcome home, B.G.”

The Suns weren’t the only ones attending the Athletes Unlimited game on March 4. Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and WNBA free agent Te’a Cooper stopped by to check out the action.

Athletes Unlimited games can be watched in a variety of ways: WNBA League Pass, CBS Sports Network and the Women’s Sports Network.

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2023 WNBA draft is April 10 and to be televised exclusively on ESPN

This year’s draft class is exceptionally talented with South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston leading the way.

The 2023 WNBA draft will be held on Monday, April 10. It will be exclusively televised on ESPN from 7-9 p.m. EST and available on the ESPN app.

According to the WNBA’s website, fans have multiple ways to get involved with the draft and follow along:

Launching in March, Draft Central on wnba.com will enable fans to access multiple offerings in the days leading up to the draft. Elements will include an interactive draft board; prospect profiles with insights powered by SAP; in-depth features on the top draft prospects; coverage of all draft events; and more.

Fans will also be able to access an array of content across WNBA channels that will include the unique stories and personalities of the prospects via Instagram and TikTok; a Twitter Spaces mock draft debate; cross platform live coverage including the Orange Carpet and more.

The draft consists of three rounds and 36 picks. The WNBA only has 144 roster spots, so the higher a player is picked the larger likelihood they will make a roster. Only a small percentage of players drafted make a WNBA roster.

The league is looking to expand in the next few years, but has no concrete plans for expanded rosters. Leagues such as Athletes Unlimited provide 44 more roster spots for elite basketball players to play domestically, but many opine it is still not enough to harness the sheer talent of women’s basketball players in the United States.

However, the top picks of the draft are almost guaranteed a spot. The last 10 No. 1 overall draft picks were:

2013: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

2014: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun

2015: Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

2016: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm

2017: Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces (formerly San Antonio Stars)

2018: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

2019: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

2020: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

2021: Charli Collier, Dallas Wings

2022: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

The WNBA held its 22nd annual draft lottery on Nov. 11 to determine the order. The Indiana Fever received the first pick. The Minnesota Lynx have the second pick. The Atlanta Dream are third and the Washington Mystics (via Los Angeles Sparks) have the fourth pick.

The full lineup of picks for the first round is below:

Pick Team
1 Indiana Fever
2 Minnesota Lynx
3 Atlanta Dream
4 Washington Mystics (via Los Angeles)
5 Chicago Sky (via Phoenix)
6 New York Liberty
7 Indiana Fever (via Dallas)
8 Atlanta Dream (via Washington)
9 Seattle Storm
10 Connecticut Sun
11 Dallas Wings (via Chicago)
12 Minnesota Lynx (via Las Vegas)

This year’s draft class is exceptionally talented with South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston leading the way. She is projected to go No. 1 in the draft and when you look at her 2022 accomplishments, not to mention her whole career, it is hard to disagree.

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Breanna Stewart signed with New York so we can just fast forward to an Aces-Liberty final now

BREANNA STEWART TO THE NEW YORK LIBERTY!!

Basketball fans, here is the news we’ve all been waiting for. Breanna Stewart is heading to the Big Apple!

According to Winsidr’s Rachel Galligan, Stewart will sign with the New York Liberty where she’ll team up with Sabrina Ionescu and the recently-traded-for Jonquel Jones to form one of the most lethal Big 3s in the W.

Of course, Stewart’s move to New York had been a topic of discussion dating back to last off-season when she met with the Liberty staff and front office during the 2022 free agency period. Ultimately, Stewie re-upped with the Seattle Storm for one last dance with now-retired Sue Bird.

One year later, Stewie is heading to her home state of New York as arguably the league’s biggest free agent signing ever. And her decision had much to do with pushing the league forward. Per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, here’s how Stewart’s agent Lindsay Kagawa-Colas explained the move:

Between the additions of Stewart and Jones, the Liberty now roster two of the past five WNBA MVP Award winners. They join Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney, and Stefanie Dolson to round out one of the league’s most talented rosters.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, New York currently has +165 title odds ahead of the 2023 season. Its odds are only second to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces’ (+135) who have also been quite busy during this off-season with their additions of Candace Parker, Alysha Clark and Amanda Zahui B.

There are still plenty of moves left to make during the off-season, but they won’t top Stewart’s decision to head East.

As we wait for more, we’ll have to soak in just how monumental this move is.

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A comprehensive emoji breakdown of Breanna Stewart’s extremely confusing emoji-filled tweets ahead of WNBA Free Agency

What in the world is Stewie talking about here?

Breanna Stewart is one of the best players in the WNBA, without a doubt. She’s a signature shoe athlete for a reason, y’all.

Stewie has only played 6 seasons in the W so far, but she’s already a 4-time All-Star and a two-time WNBA Champion. On top of that, she’s already an MVP and nearly won another one last season if not for the incredible season A’ja Wilson had.

And, now, she’s a free agent.

That’s right. Breanna Stewart — who has been a member of the Seattle Storm for her entire career so far — might actually be on the move. As one of the best players in the WNBA, that’s already going to have the entire league on edge.

It’s the same thing that happens when LeBron James or Kevin Durant becomes a free agent or demands a trade. It freezes up the entire league. No one knows what to do because whatever Stewie chooses to do will flip the league on its head — even with this being arguably the best free agent class the league has ever seen.

So, yeah. Things are a bit tense in the W right now. And Stewart is adding fuel to the fire…with emojis.

Stewart has been dropping tweets filled with emojis over the last few days as we get closer and closer to the start of free agency on January 21st. First, she dropped this tweet on January 16.

Then, she dropped this bad boy three days later on the 19th.

And nobody has any clue what any of it means. But don’t worry. That’s not going to stop us from breaking it down. Let’s dive into it.

It’s time for some…meaningless speculation!