Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has re-signed with the New York Liberty on a one-year deal, the team announced Saturday. Stewart helped lead the Liberty to its first title in franchise history last season, and she will be back for their repeat attempt in 2025.
“Bringing Stewie back to the Liberty was our top priority this offseason,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a press release. “Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable — she’s not only one of the best and most accomplished players in the world, but a leader whose relentless drive is foundational to the standard we continue to build upon in New York.”
Stewart’s return was always expected, especially after the Liberty used the core designation on her, which gave them exclusive negotiating rights. This was the second consecutive year the Liberty cored Stewart, who will now be exempt from that designation for the remainder of her career because players are only allowed to be cored twice.
A New York native, Stewart’s first two seasons with the Liberty have been an incredible success. She won MVP in 2023 while leading the team to the Finals for the first time since 2002, then went a step further last season to bring the Liberty their long-awaited championship.
Stewart is already cemented as an all-time great and remains one of the two or three best players in the world even as she turns 30. She hasn’t finished lower than third in MVP voting since returning from her Achilles tear in 2020, and has made five consecutive All-WNBA First Teams and three consecutive All-Defensive First Teams.
Her outside shooting fell off a cliff last season, but that was really the only critique you could make. She averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, finishing fourth in the league in scoring, eighth in rebounding, eighth in steals and eighth in blocks. In WNBA history, there have only been seven instances of a player averaging at least 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for an entire season; Stewart recorded her second in a row in 2024.
Stewart underwent a minor procedure on her right meniscus earlier this month after the conclusion of the inaugural Unrivaled season. She is expected to be ready for training camp, which gets underway on April 27, but it would not be a surprise if the team takes a cautious approach with her recovery. Even if they do, though, she should be back to 100% well before the middle of the season.
With Stewart officially back, the Liberty have returned their entire starting lineup from last season while adding Natasha Cloud, Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner. It won’t be easy to pull off a repeat, but the Liberty will be the team to beat in 2025.
