Breanna Stewart, the reigning WNBA MVP, will run it back with the New York Liberty. The franchise just announced that Stewart is returning for the 2024 WNBA season after inking a new one-year deal.
Stewart was expected to stay in New York considering that general manager Jonathan Kolb said the team intends to place a core designation on her shortly after Liberty’s WNBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Aces. However, it appears that the two sides agreed to a different type of deal in the meantime.
Stewart reportedly signed a contract that is below the WNBA’s max. This way, the Liberty gets financial flexibility to further improve their roster and make another run at the WNBA title.
With Stewart back, the Liberty’s starting five from the 2023 season, which includes Courtney Vandersloot, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Betnijah Laney, remains intact. The New York team finished the regular season with the league’s second-best 32-8 record and reached the WNBA Finals, where they lost 3-1 in the series against the Aces.
Breanna Stewart averaged a career-high 23.0 points per game last season while adding 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks. She earned her second WNBA MVP award at the end of the season.
