Breanna Stewart made charter flights a key part of her free-agency recruiting process, and the newly signed New York Liberty superstar doubled down on the issue in her introductory press conference at Barclays Center on Thursday morning.
The Liberty officially welcomed Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot to New York after the stars opted to sign with the team in free agency, signaling the start of a superteam era in the WNBA. Both players took significant pay cuts to play for the Liberty and meet salary cap requirements in 2023, with Stewart signing a one-year, $175,000 deal and Vandersloot signing on for two years at $189,000 in 2023 and $194,670 in 2024, according to Her Hoops Stats.
On Thursday, Stewart and Vandersloot made clear their desire to bring the Liberty their first championship in franchise history. In New York, they join Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney and Jonquel Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP whom the Liberty acquired in a trade with Connecticut in January.
But they also cited the Liberty’s resources and shared values around the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement as a big reason for their decision to join the team.
Stewart rallied support for charter flights during the free-agency process and reiterated her intentions on…
