The WNBA free agency period is set to begin in a little over a week with teams allowed to begin negotiations with free agents on Jan. 20. Teams cannot make free agent signings official until Feb. 1, but expect deals to be announced shortly after the 20th. In the meantime, teams can begin extending qualifying offers to restricted free agents as well as coring potential free agents. The New York Liberty have already given star wing Breanna Stewart a core designation as per Liberty reporter Geoff Magliocchetti.

Under a core designation, Breanna Stewart will only be allowed to negotiate a new contract with the Liberty. WNBA teams are permitted to designate one of their unrestricted free agents as a core player all but ensuring that said free agent returns to the team.

Under the core designation, Stewart will automatically be offered a one year contract at the WNBA's supermax under the league's collective bargaining agreement. Stewart and the Liberty are allowed to agree on a longer term deal as well. Stewart is coming off an MVP caliber season and helped transform the Liberty into a championship contending team.

During her first season with the Liberty, Stewart averaged a career-high 23.0 points per game, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocked shots with splits of 46.5 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent shooting from the three point line and 85.1 percent shooting from the free throw line.

Stewart signed with the Liberty during the WNBA free agency period last offseason after spending the first six seasons of her career with the Seattle Storm. A two-time WNBA champion, Stewart joined Courtney Vandersloot and Jonquel Jones in joining the team and raising their ceiling tremendously.