Liberty Title Hits Differently For Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart has earned her share of championships but winning one with the New York Liberty struck just a little differently.

Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) is blocked from behind by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) in the third quarter during game five of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

BROOKLYN -- Nyara Sabally likely spoke for all New York Liberty fans at the WNBA Finals' postgame podium on Sunday night.

As Breanna Stewart reminded the masses that her primary goal upon signing with New York in 2023 was to help the franchise capture its first postseason title, Sabally reached around head coach Sandy Brondello and shook the decorated forward's hand.

"Thank you for that," Sabally said, created one of several jubilant interruptions to the Liberty's postgame comments.

Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) shoots over Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) in the first quarter during game five of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Champagne and laughter flowed in the wake of New York's 67-62 overtime victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night at Barclays Center, one set to commence a banner-raising 28 years in the making. At the forefront is Stewart, who will don her third WNBA championship ring after earning two with the Seattle Storm (2018, 2020).

With Stewart standing as the team's resident champion and New York native (Syracuse, to be precise), it stood to reason that this championship meant just a little more. Stewart was more than happy to play into Brooklyn-based recency bias.

"Winning in Seattle was amazing and nothing takes away from that," Stewart said. "But to be able to bring the first ever to the Liberty and the first (to New York) in 51 years ... my first WNBA game I ever went to was at (Madison Square Garden), was the Liberty, and to have that be full circle was amazing."

Stewart struggled in the final stages of the championship wrap-up (4-of-15 from the field on Sunday) but averaged a double-double in the five-game Finals with 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds. Sunday marked the end of a daring duel with fellow former Connecticut Husky and business partner Naphessa Collier, who put up 19 and 8.2 rebounds in the five on her own end.

As Stewart mentioned, the Liberty's victory brings professional basketball hardware to New York City for the first time since 1973, when the New York Knicks clinched the latter of two titles. Entering Sunday, the Liberty was the only franchise leftover from the WNBA's debut days (a sisterhood that also includes the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury) that had yet to raise a postseason championship banner.

The local connections made Stewart the de facto headliner of a long-gestating plan's realization in 2023, one that saw the Liberty land her services as well as those of fellow historic talents like Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot.

Jones, granted MVP honors thanks in part to the way she kept New York in the game during a sloppy first half, made sure Stewart was the first woman she found as the final seconds ticked away from the 2024 WNBA season, recognizing the culmination of the plan set forth by general manager Jonathan Kolb and owners Clara Wu/Joseph Tsai.

"When I hugged Stewie, I was sobbing in her ear. I didn't say one word. I was just crying the whole time," Jones recalled of a moment Stewart called "picture perfect." "I'm so happy to win and do it with her. We talked about it so much, about coming together and what we envisioned of what we wanted to do in New York, and what we could do, to be able to pull it off and accomplish a dream. It's so freaking hard to do. It just means a lot. It means a lot."

Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) reacts after missing a basket in the second quarter against the Minnesota Lynx during game five of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The final hour places a fancy bow on Stewart's triumphant 2024, one that saw her announce the formation of Unrivaled, an upcoming stateside domestic league that will be staged in the latter portions of the WNBA offseason, alongside Collier. Stewart also helped the United States women's national basketball team secure its eighth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics ... one that saw her grant humorous condolences to Sabally, whose German squad fell to the Americans at the end of the knockout stage.

That, however, struggles to live up to the hype of Stewart raising both the standards and banners at Barclays Center, whose rafters will now host a flag dedicated to the Liberty's debut Finals triumph.

"I've been like manifesting this moment for a while and there's no feeling like it," Stewart said. "To be able to bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history, it's an incredible feeling. I literally can't wait to continue to celebrate with the city because I know it's going to like, be bonkers. Bonkers."

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