Breanna Stewart's Vengeance Handing Liberty Championship Shot

Breanna Stewart has taken the right shots and made the right moves in the New York Liberty's quest for a postseason title.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

Breanna Stewart has taken thousands of shots in a career that has conquered the domestic, international, amateur, exhibition, and Olympic levels ... just to name a few. For the time being, however, Stewart's career ... at least the New York Liberty portions ... may be defined by one she didn't take.

Stewart has been somewhat dogged by passing up the final shot of the Liberty's narrow 2023 WNBA Finals defeat to the Las Vegas Aces, a 70-69 heartbreaker at Barclays Center. The hardwood legend has repeatedly been asked about the final sequence as New York works through its vengeance tour, one that continues in Minnesota on Friday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

"If I had to do it over again, I would've moved a bit quicker, go baseline, get a shot up earlier in the clock," Stewart said as this year commenced. "Of course, I wish we could change the outcome, it's really disappointing. There's going to be a greater outcome from this."

"Last (postseason) wasn't my proudest but I'm going to continue to be better."

Oct 15, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) is defended by Las Vegas Aces forward Alysha Clark (7) in the third quarter during game three of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Exactly one year later, the Liberty have a chance to land that happy ending: following an 80-77 victory over the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center in Game 3, New York has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five championship round, placing them one win away from the franchise's first postseason title.

Stewart has spent the trek making up for lost time: only fellow Finals fighter Napheesa Collier has taken more shots in this postseason than Stewart and she's one of only four to be averaging at least 21 tallies per game.

Game 3 was the most prominent Stewart showcase yet: by matching the No. 30 on her jersey, Stewart reached a triple decade on the scoresheet for the third time in her WNBA Finals career, tying a record she'll share with Angel McCoughtry. Nearly half of that tally, 13 to be precise, came during a fateful stretch at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth when she fully accounted for metropolitan scoring.

That completed New York's crawl back from a deficit that reached as high as 15 and set the stage for Sabrina Ionescu's memorable game-winner. Ionescu may have led SportsCenter but she knew her highlight wouldn't have been possible without Stewart's outburst and more.

"We don't win this game without Stewie," Ionescu firmly declared. "What she was able to do ... there's nothing I could say. That shot's nice but that doesn't go against what she's been able to do for us tonight and how she was able to just will us back into that game."

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

Stewart has insisted on taking the big shots and has gotten that opportunity and then some. It's far from an egotistical approach on her part as well: Game 3 was undoubtedly a team effort, one where all eight women who partook had a role to play. But Stewart is part of the long-lauded "big three" alongside Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, forming a trio that has controlled the Liberty's destiny.

While it's undoubtedly a team effort, Stewart said that she knows she and her fellow headliners hold a special responsibility ... one she fully embraces and will continue to chase with the title so close.

"I think that what the big three means is between Sab, JJ, and myself, we know when it's our time to step up and to make an impact," Stewart said. "Sometimes things are frustrating. I pick up two fouls in the first quarter. But knowing that our team trusts and believes in us to be in this position to take these shots, to help get the game in the right place, but at the same time we wouldn't be here without our teammates, and having that trust and belief just gives us confidence."

"There were so many players that came in that were such an important piece of what we were able to do tonight just because they made Minny tired and that's what makes this team really special. It's a collective win even though some of us are shining a little bit brighter."

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