It comes as no surprise, but she made it official by signing pen to paper. Not that there was a real chance that she would leave her hometown team, especially after winning a title a season ago. Breanna Stewart is returning to the New York Liberty for the 2025 WNBA season.
The Liberty announced on Saturday that Stewart has inked a new contract to return to the defending WNBA champs.
Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb put out a statement concerning Stewart returning to New York for another season.
“Bringing Stewie back to the Liberty was our top priority this offseason,” New York general manager Kolb said. “Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable — she’s not only one of the best and most accomplished players in the world, but a leader whose relentless drive is foundational to the standard we continue to build upon in New York.”
According to Madeline Kenney of the New York Post, Stewart’s one-year deal will pay her a guaranteed salary of $208,400. This amount comes in just below the WNBA max salary for 2025 at $214,466.
This is nothing new for Stewart. It marks the fourth consecutive year that She has signed a one-year contract. She began going on a year-to-year basis in 2022, her final season with the Seattle Storm, who she won two championships with.
Embed from Getty ImagesStewart said ahead of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals last season against the Minnesota Lynx, that she wanted to leave her options open and maintain flexibility, particularly with the uncertainty about the collective bargaining agreement:
“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, 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.”
The WNBPA announced on October21 that it would opt out of the current CBA, which will expire on October 31, 2025. The league’s financial future is going to change significantly thanks to its 11-year, $2.2 billion television rights deal that begins with the 2026 campaign.
Stewart’s move to the Liberty as a free agent in February 2023 shifted the balance of power immediately in the WNBA. New York won a franchise record 32 games and lost in the Finals in her first season after finishing under .500 in each of the previous five years.
The Liberty licked their wounds and once again won 32 games last season and got over the hump in the playoffs, defeating the Lynx in a classic five-game series for their first championship in franchise history.
Stewart won her second WNBA MVP award in her first year in New York. She finished third in MVP voting last season, averaging 20.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 38 starts.
New York will begin its title defense against Aja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center on May 17.
