Breanna Stewart won the WNBA MVP award and led the New York Liberty to the Finals in 2023. Despite falling short in the championship against the Las Vegas Aces, Stewart enjoyed a tremendous season. She is clearly one of the best players in the league and the Liberty certainly want to keep her on the roster. Sure enough, GM Jonathan Kolb said the Liberty are designating Stewart as a core player so she won't enter free agency, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
Stewart can now either sign a new deal with the Liberty or agree to a qualifying offer. Either way, she's going to make a lucrative amount of money in 2024.
Breanna Stewart: A true superstar
Stewart, 29, has played in the WNBA since 2016. She began her career with the Seattle Storm and established herself as a star. Stewart ultimately made four All-Star teams while playing for the Storm.
Her final year in Seattle came in 2022, when she averaged 21.8 points per game on 47.2 percent field goal and 37.9 percent three-point shooting. But the Aces won the WNBA Finals and the league didn't feature a team that seemed capable of upsetting Las Vegas' squad… until Breanna Stewart joined the Liberty.
Along with Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, Stewart was set to lead New York in 2023. The Liberty performed well against the Aces during the regular season and some people around the WNBA world even believed New York could win the championship.
Stewart, who as aforementioned won the MVP, averaged 23 points per game on 46.5 percent field goal and 35.5 percent three-point shooting. She added 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per contest.
In the end, Breanna Stewart and the Liberty fell short in the WNBA Finals against A'ja Wilson and the Aces. Still, the future is bright for New York.
Liberty's future after WNBA Finals defeat
The Liberty are looking to build around Breanna Stewart. Ionescu and Jones are also important pieces to the puzzle. The Aces are going to be competitive again in 2024, so New York needs to do everything they can to further improve their already impressive roster. Otherwise, it would not be surprising to see Las Vegas earn yet another championship.
With Breanna Stewart on the roster, though, the Liberty will remain confident.
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