The biggest domino of free agency has officially dropped: Breanna Stewart is a member of the New York Liberty, and a new contender has emerged to challenge the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Stewart is the best player to ever change teams in WNBA free agency, a high bar considering Candace Parker’s 2021 move to Chicago that led to the Sky winning their first title. But Stewart, who has played only with the Seattle Storm, is six years younger than Parker when she swapped jerseys and is still capable of being the undisputed best player on a championship team. Stewart is in position to reshape the Liberty and the WNBA.
New York is one of the league’s inaugural franchises, the winner of the first game in league history. But the Liberty don’t have the decorated past of the other teams who remain since the 1997 launch; three finals appearances, but none since 2002, and no MVP winners in 26 seasons. The Liberty already made a free-agency splash by securing Jonquel Jones, the 2021 league MVP from the Connecticut Sun, in a three-team deal in mid-January. Adding Stewart to an impressive surrounding cast may rewrite the franchise’s narrative for good while shaking up the WNBA’s power hierarchy.
The Liberty have been planning for this opportunity for multiple seasons. They…
