It was never a question of if, but rather when Breanna Stewart would re-sign with the defending champion New York Liberty. The team announced on Saturday morning that the 3X WNBA Champion and 2X league MVP Stewart officially put pen to paper, filling the last major hole in the Liberty’s 2025 roster.
After returning to New York this week following professional 3×3 league Unrivaled’s first official season, a minor surgery, and her second annual Stewie 30 Elite Camp for the nation’s best high school players, Stewart signed a one-year protected deal worth $208,400, a league source confirmed to The Next. She’ll be the Liberty’s top earner by hundreds of dollars with Sabrina Ionescu making $208,060 in 2025.
“Bringing Stewie back to the Liberty was our top priority this offseason,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a team press release.
Stewart’s contract will allow the Liberty to carry 12 players heading into opening day on May 16, something that hasn’t been a given for the Liberty since Stewart played her first season for New York in 2023. Last season, the Liberty added their 12th player, rookie Jaylyn Sherrod, in early July, at a time when the salary cap could hold a 12th player. Back in 2023, the Liberty only held 11 players at a time with now franchise director of player relations and community engagement Epiphanny Prince subbing in on a hardship contract when needed.
In order for New York to have the best chance to repeat as back-to-back champions, having a full 12 person roster to begin the season was of high importance. While Stewart was cored back in January, and could have signed for the full super-maximum of $249,244, she took less to ensure that the Liberty could have the deepest and most talented roster possible heading into 2025 where the stakes will be quite high as New York hunts dynasty status.
How will Stewart’s minor surgery factor into the 2025 season?
Earlier this month, Stewart posted to her Instagram grid that she had just gotten surgery on her right knee, and described having to play with a leg sleeve to cover all of the tape she had on her right leg. “S/o to the gang getting me through Unrivaled and Dr. Weber for getting me right,” she wrote.
Stewart played through something at Unrivaled. While she posed very solid numbers this past winter, averaging 19.1 points, 11 rebounds and 3.1 assists, her shooting wasn’t as efficient. She shot 98-225 (43.5%) from the field and 8-43 (18.6 %) from deep, both figures below her career averages.
It wasn’t a surprise that Stewart was playing through an injury. Following Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, a video surfaced of Stewart and former teammate and close friend Sue Bird chatting on the court moments after the Liberty won their first championship last November. Bird looked down at Stewart’s leg and asked her “Did it pop?”
Team sources told The Next following Stewart’s post that she had a “minor scope” on her right meniscus and that she was expected to be back on the court for training camp. A sports orthopedic surgeon contacted by The Next explained that Stewart’s situation sounds like a partial meniscectomy, which is cutting down a fraying or a tearing of the meniscus “that is causing pain and/or swelling.”
The surgeon, who specializes in shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle injuries, pointed out that most are often back to sports between 6-8 weeks from surgery, but this can often be “fast-tracked” for professional athletes. While Stewart is expected to be on the court during training camp, it’s not for certain she’ll be at 100% participation. Stewart sat out for part of training camp and the Liberty’s preseason games in 2023 after playing an overseas season in Turkey.
“She may not be 100% by May 16 [the start of the WNBA regular season] but I’d bet she’ll be pretty close,” the surgeon wrote to The Next.
Stewart signed a one-year deal, but it’s hard to imagine her going elsewhere
A few days before the Liberty announced that Stewart had officially signed her contract, New York made more news on Thursday. With multiple preview videos and photo renderings all ready to go, the Liberty unveiled their plans to open a new $80 million and 75,000-square foot practice facility, new team store and team-run public coffee shop by the 2027 WNBA season.
The franchise made sure to send the message that three of the Liberty’s stars in Jonquel Jones, Ionescu and Stewart were all consulted on the plans for the facility. That trio spoke to the architectural firm Populous this past November, and Stewart specifically has always been a guiding light for the franchise and its ownership group.
“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,” Kolb said.
Stewart’s influence and knack for innovation is evident as a founder of 3×3 league Unrivaled alongside Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier. It’s not a coincidence that the makeup and nail studio and child care facilities set to be in the Liberty’s new practice space were also primary features of Unrivaled’s facilities in Miami this past winter. In an interview with The New York Times, Stewart expressed how she wants to go shopping for all of the childcare features that will be in the Liberty’s new training facility.
With a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon as the main reason why most WNBA players including Stewart have signed for just one-year deals in 2025, it’s very difficult to imagine Stewart not staying in New York through at least through 2027. “I need to see this thing come to life for sure,” she said.
