In Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals, with her team’s season on the line, Breanna Stewart failed to deliver. Her first season with the New York Liberty ended with the Las Vegas Aces celebrating a championship in Barclays Center in large part because Stewart shot 3 of 17 from the field.
The two-time MVP is determined not to let that happen again, and she ensured the Liberty took a big first step toward revenge with a dominant outing on Sunday. Stewart finished with 34 points, five rebounds and four assists on 12-of-19 shooting as the Liberty beat the Aces, 87-77, in Game 1 of their semifinal series.
Ahead of the Finals rematch, Stewart told reporters that she’s never watched the tape from that Game 4 defeat. It’s safe to say she’ll be rewatching this one in the future.
Stewart’s unique versatility at her size is a primary reason she’s already one of the game’s all-time greats, and Sunday was a case study. In the first quarter alone, she scored on a tough reverse layup, a 3-pointer, a deceleration Eurostep and a pull-up mid-range jumper.
In the Finals last season, the Aces were able to get away with going small and sticking Alysha Clark on Stewart. That did not work on Sunday. Stewart went…
