Breanna Stewart Reveals Upcoming Free Agency Strategy During WNBA Finals
The New York Liberty are one day away from Game 3 of the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx. The winner in this game will take a commanding 2-1 lead in the series, and will only need to win one of their next two contests to become the 2024 WNBA Champions.
Regardless of who emerges victorious, Liberty superstar forward Breanna Stewart is slated to enter free agency this offseason.
After New York lost the 2023 WNBA Finals, Stewart signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal that Spotrac lists at $205,000. There was no doubt she'd remain in New York because the Liberty front office gave her a "core" designation, which enables WNBA teams to hold on to the rights of just one player per franchise who would otherwise become a free agent.
Once a player is "cored" for two seasons, teams aren't allowed to give them the designation again. And a comment Stewart made during Tuesday's WNBA Finals press conference made it clear that she expects to get cored again this offseason.
"I am under a one-year, and I’m going to sign another one-year," Stewart said, per USA Today's Meghan L. Hall. "Just so I can continue to have that kind of flexibility going forward.
"It’s kind of hard to tell, because you don’t know obviously if we opt in or opt out, but with the potential from the new TV deal — how does everything play into effect. How long are things going to be lasting? But I don’t mind the one-years. I’m going to burn my core," Stewart continued.
Breanna Stewart on how she approaches the next few years:
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) October 15, 2024
“I am under a one-year, and I’m going to sign another one-year. Just so I can continue to have that kind of flexibility going forward. It’s kind of hard to tell, because you don’t know obviously if we opt in or opt out,…
Her comment about the new TV deal refers to an October 14 report from the Associated Press' Doug Feinberg that said, "The players union and league have until Nov. 1 to potentially opt out of their current collective bargaining agreement. It is likely that the players will decide to do so before the deadline as they have a list of wants, including increased salaries now that the WNBA has entered a historic 11-year with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC for $200 million a year."
WNBA and players' union closing in on opt out date for current collective bargaining agreement https://t.co/j0o87zJan2
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 14, 2024
In other words, Stewart wants to get her "core" years out of the way before that new CBA comes into play so she can cash in when it does.
Quite a wise strategy from the WNBA superstar.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.