The question of where Breanna Stewart will land in 2023 has dominated the WNBA free agency conversation.

That is due in part to her clear position as the marquee free agent in the class. But it is also by her own design. The 2018 MVP has spent the last week teasing WNBA fans and media with emoji-filled tweets, most of which seemed design to confuse.

In one post, though, she revealed her top four destinations: The Seattle Storm. The New York Liberty. The Minnesota Lynx. The Washington Mystics.

Stewart met with each of these teams to kick off the negotiating period Saturday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported. But the signing period does not start until Feb. 1, so until then, the 28-year-old forward could keep everyone in an emoji-laden limbo.

As we wait with bated breath, Just Women’s Sports asks: Which of her top four choices is the best fit for Stewart?

✈️🗳️🌊👽🔮🧸💰⏳🍪🪴

— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) January 22, 2023

New York Liberty

The Liberty look to be building a super team in New York. Even after trading for one former MVP in Jonquel Jones, they’re still in the running for Stewart. And there are reports that wherever Stewart goes, Courtney Vandersloot could follow.

With the addition of both Stewart and Vandersloot, the Liberty would have Sabrina Ionescu at point guard, Vandersloot also in the backcourt, and Jones and Stewart in the frontcourt. The team would also bring bench power, with Stefanie Dolson and Michaela Onyenwere adding depth.

The Liberty also have the advantage of a large market — and they’re relatively close to home for Stewart, who grew up in Syracuse. New York also would make for a shorter flight home for Stewart’s wife, Marta Xargay, who is originally from Spain.

Seattle Storm

As the team that originally drafted Stewart with the No. 1 overall pick out of UConn in 2016, there certainly are a few draws to Seattle. Not only has Stewart won two championships with the team, she also has played with fellow Storm star Jewell Loyd for her whole career.

But the Storm head into the 2023 WNBA season without Sue Bird for the first time since 2002. If Stewart could convince Vandersloot to join her in Seattle, that would help fill the void. Still, the Storm will need to retool, if not rebuild entirely, and they would need to find other pieces in order to once again contend for a championship.

🤩 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 🤩@breannastewart is your AP Player of the Year and AP All WNBA First Team!#TakeCover pic.twitter.com/QXbk4Wwsb0

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 16, 2022

Washington Mystics

The Mystics already several key pieces that could push them toward a title run. Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins and Natasha Cloud provide the veteran presence, while young stars Shakira Austin and Evina Westbrook bring their own skills to the table.

Stewart would fit in well alongside Delle Donne and Austin, who has proven capable at center. Add in Cloud and Atkins and the Mystics could be a title contender. But the Mystics might struggle to find the cap space for both Stewart and Vandersloot.

Minnesota Lynx

The retirement of Sylvia Fowles leaves the Lynx without a cornerstone, and Stewart is one of the very few players who could fill the role left by the WNBA legend. She also would be able to link up with former UConn teammate and fellow power forward Napheesa Collier.

But of the four teams on the table for Stewart, the Lynx arguably need the most work to put themselves in title contention. The retirement of Fowles has left them without a center, and without a clear leader on defense. While Stewart and Vandersloot could help, cap space could limit Minnesota’s possibilities.

Sweden veteran defender Magda Eriksson is hanging up her international boots to focus on her health, with the 32-year-old officially announcing her retirement from her national team on Sunday.

Eriksson will continue competing at the domestic level for her German club, Bayern Munich.

The longtime captain sat out the most recent international window due to a head injury, watching as world No. 3 Sweden fell to No. 1 Spain in the two-leg 2025 Nations League semifinals.

"It's by far the toughest decision I've ever made," Eriksson said in her social media announcement. "But I'm listening to my body and mind instead of my heart."

"I've landed in the fact that unfortunately it's a decision that has to be made."

After an 11-year career with the Swedish senior national team, Eriksson retires as a two-time Olympic silver medalist, earning those podium finishes in Rio in 2016 and at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games.

Often leading Sweden through major tournaments where early domination dissolved into a third-place finish, Eriksson also helped her team eke onto the World Cup podium in both 2019 and 2023.

"It is heavy news," said Sweden head coach Tony Gustavsson after Eriksson announced her international retirement, calling her "one of our most important players for a long time."

"[Magda's] professionalism, courage, and heart have left a strong mark on the national team," he added.

Chelsea FC's £1 million gamble is paying dividends, as USWNT rising star Alyssa Thompson continued her goal-scoring momentum for the six-time defending WSL champs on Sunday.

The young forward found the back of the net in the ninth minute of the Blues' 1-1 Sunday draw with Liverpool, solidifying her status as a decisive attacking threat for her new club.

"You can see how much talent she has and the quality she brings to the team," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said of Thompson earlier this month. "She's improving game after game, becoming more connected to her teammates, and understanding the way we want to play better."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Thompson left NWSL side Angel City for Chelsea on a then-record £1 million transfer fee in early September, with the 21-year-old going on to notch three goals and one assist in four matches across both WSL and Champions League play.

"Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity," said the striker. "I want to learn, grow, and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in."

Beyond individual accomplishment, Thompson's success underscores Chelsea's depth as they continue to hunt domestic and continental honors on a now-34 match WSL unbeaten streak — while also looking to potentially draw more USWNT stars away from the NWSL.

Women's professional baseball has landed a home base, with Front Office Sports reporting on Monday that the newly formed WPBL will play the entirety of its 2026 debut season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.

The incoming league prioritized a neutral venue without an existing baseball team to house its four inaugural clubs — New York, Boston, LA, and San Francisco — for its first campaign, with barnstorming games also planned for each team market.

"Our sport is for everybody," WPBL co-founder Keith Stein told FOS. "It's for middle America, everybody. We thought, 'Our teams are on these two coasts, it would be good to be in the middle of the country.'"

Founded in 2024 as the first professional women's baseball outfit in the US since 1954, the WPBL will hold its first-ever draft on Thursday, with the league's four teams drawing from a pool of 120 eligible players.

The WPBL recently fielded an oversubscribed Series A investment round, telling FOS that they're closing a $3 million raise with another round planned ahead of its August 2026 season-opener.

Each 30-player team will operate under a $95,000 salary cap for the first year, with the league also covering living costs throughout the seven-week season as well as giving players a percentage of sponsorship funds.

How to watch the first-ever WPBL Draft

The 2025 WPBL Draft kicks off at 8 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage streaming across the league's Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube channels.

Las Vegas Aces boss Becky Hammon spoke her mind last week, telling CNBC Sport that the WNBA might need "a change in leadership" for the league's CBA talks to successfully progress.

"I just think [player relations] might be too fractured at this point, but we'll see," Hammon said, while also noting that she's had only limited interactions with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Citing Engelbert's "private conversations...with individual players — or lack of the conversations," Hammon described the commissioner's current relationship with players as "rocky" while describing her widely criticized leadership style.

"I don't know if she can ever regret, retract, and get that traction back from those conversations," the Aces boss posited.

"When the players speak, people need to sit up and listen," she continued. "I think [Engelbert is] sitting up and listening now."

Hammon also voiced support for Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier after the five-time All-Star described the WNBA as having the "worst leadership in the world" in her now-viral 2025 exit interview.

"I completely agree with Napheesa that the players should be making more than coaches," the Las Vegas sideline leader — who publicly earns seven figures per year — continued. "They're due for a huge increase in salary, and it's got to be something that is sustainable. That's the biggest thing you got to remember, that this league is still a young league."

Ultimately, while the 2025 WNBA season is over, CBA concerns loom large over the league's current offseason and 2026 campaign, leaving Hammon and others looking to avoid a lockout as the November 30th extension deadline nears.