Breanna Stewart’s signature Puma shoe line with made a surprise appearance at the 2023 US Open.
Leylah Fernandez, a former US Open singles finalist, made a run to the quarterfinals in the doubles bracket with partner Taylor Townsend. During the run, she played in Stewart’s Stewie 2 sneakers.
The 21-year-old Canadian previously wore Asics in 2021, then switched to Swiss athletic shoe company On’s Roger Federer sneakers in 2022. She became the first player other than Federer, who is an investor in the brand, to wear the shoes on the court.
During the 2023 US Open, Fernandez made the switch to Puma’s Stewie 2, a basketball shoe. Stewart responded to Fernandez’s choice Thursday, writing on social media: “Be like water,” a reference to the blue-patterned “Water” colorway sported by the tennis star.
Stewart and the New York Liberty are gearing up for the start of their WNBA playoff run. The second-seeded Liberty are facing the seventh-seeded Washington Mystics in the first round, with the first game set for 7:30 p.m. ET Friday.
Be like water 💧 https://t.co/1lizhKgHya
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) September 14, 2023
The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty have dominated the headlines and conversations since last year’s playoffs. On the court, the Aces and Liberty have had similar success, earning the top two seeds in the 2023 postseason.
Six other squads, though, are ready to challenge the superteams, starting with four intriguing first-round matchups. Just Women’s Sports has insights and predictions for each three-game series.
(1) Las Vegas Aces vs. (8) Chicago Sky
Defending champion Las Vegas set a WNBA regular-season record with 34 wins in 40 games. And after ending the season on a four-game winning streak, the Aces are in prime position to start the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Sky made the postseason against all odds in a season that saw the departure of their head coach and general manager, James Wade, who left for an assistant coaching position in the NBA. Chicago needed a late-season push to edge out the Los Angeles Sparks for the final playoff spot, and they got it by winning four of their last five contests.
These two teams are in completely different places, and while the Sky should be proud of their resilience in even making the playoffs, this series should be dominated by the Aces.
The teams played three times in the regular season, with the Aces taking all three matchups, 93-80, 107-95 and 94-87. In each matchup, Las Vegas had a different leading scorer, with the team’s four stars – A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum – all hitting double-digits each time. Chicago will have to find a way to limit one or two of those scorers to have a chance against the potent Las Vegas offense.
Prediction: Las Vegas in 2
(2) New York Liberty vs. (7) Washington Mystics
This series shows the importance of the fight for the No. 1 seed. Neither the Aces nor the Liberty wanted to play the Mystics.
Washington may be a No. 7 seed, but the team ranks much higher in terms of talent. Injuries throughout the season prevented the Mystics from ever getting on a roll, but when healthy, they boast Elena Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Shakira Austin, Ariel Atkins and Brittney Sykes in the starting lineup.
Washington is certainly feeling good about itself after beating New York, 90-88, in the final game of the regular season. Yet while the Mystics can challenge the Liberty, New York is the better team and should win the series – though it may take three games to do so.
The Liberty also come into the playoffs on a high, despite the loss to Washington. They started the regular season with a ton of talent and ended it as a cohesive team that looks hard to stop in a playoff series.
Sabrina Ionescu has been particularly tough for the Mystics to stop, as she’s been New York’s leading scorer with 20-plus points in three of their four regular-season meetings. Washington needs to lean on a stellar defensive performance across the court, but particularly from Sykes and Cloud to defend New York’s guards. After that, it will be up to Austin and Delle Donne to slow down Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. So a lot needs to go right for Washington. Ultimately, even healthy, it will be challenging for Washington to contend with New York’s talent across all five positions.
Prediction: New York in 3
Playoff Mode! 🚀🫀#WNBAPlayoffs #MoreThanGame pic.twitter.com/FRVPQFlAHJ
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) September 13, 2023
(3) Connecticut Sun vs. (6) Minnesota Lynx
The Sun and the Lynx played four times this season, with Connecticut holding a 3-1 advantage, but the series featured several close games. Two of the Sun’s wins came by 10 points and 5 points.
Led by MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas and her 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per contest, Connecticut has been consistent all season. Slowing down Thomas is the first challenge the Lynx will have to tackle. She runs the court for the Sun, and no squad has had an answer for that. Meanwhile, DeWanna Bonner is having the best season of her career, averaging 17.4 points per game. Her length also provides a challenge for Minnesota’s defense.
Meanwhile, the Lynx are peaking at the right time. They started the season 0-6 but have turned their season around. Napheesa Collier has been a huge part of that success, averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. She was huge in the most recent matchup, finishing with 30 points.
The Lynx have come a long way, particularly with the development of rookies Diamond Miller and Dorka Juhász, and they have the ability to make this series interesting. But ultimately, the one-two punch of Thomas and Bonner is too big of a challenge to overcome, and the Sun should take this series.
Prediction: Sun in 3
(4) Dallas Wings vs. (5) Atlanta Dream
Dallas and Atlanta come into the playoffs as two similar squads — not in the way they play, but in their ability to beat anyone on a given night. Both these teams are bursting with talent, and when things go right, they go really, really right.
Yet while the Wings continue to mesh, the Dream struggled down the stretch. Still, if Atlanta puts everything together, it can compete with Dallas, though the Dream are 0-3 in the regular-season series.
To have a chance against the Wings in the playoffs, Rhyne Howard, Cheyenne Parker and Allisha Gray will all need to have big games, and Atlanta will likely need a lift from someone unexpected as well.
Dallas will lean on its big three – Satou Sabally, Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard – to do most of the scoring. But the team’s inside presence is where the Wings can separate themselves. Both Teaira McCowan (6-7) and Kalani Brown (6-7) can do damage on both ends, and alongside the length of Awak Kuier (6-6), they make it difficult for opponents to attack the rim.
Prediction: Dallas in 2
The magical season continues for our unicorn 🦄
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) September 12, 2023
Satou Sabally has been named the @AP Most Improved Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/BMNKQt9mKk
The Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty remain the odds-on favorites to reach the 2023 WNBA Finals.
Defending champion Las Vegas remain the betting favorite to win the title at -145, per FanDuel Sportsbook. The New York Liberty are close behind at +145. The Connecticut Sun come in third at +1900 odds, a steep drop from the top two.
The top-seeded Aces also are heavily favored to win their first-round series, at -8000 to beat the eighth-seeded Chicago Sky. Meanwhile, the second-seeded Liberty (-600) are favored to win their own first-round series, but a healthy Washington Mystics team should present a tougher challenge.
FanDuel also offers the option to predict both finalists. A battle of the Las Vegas and New York superteams has the best odds at -210, followed by Las Vegas and No. 3 seed Connecticut at +500.
Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson is the favorite to win Finals MVP at +260 odds, while New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart is a close second at +360 odds, according to FanDuel. DraftKings Sportsbook offers similar odds, with Wilson at +150 compared to Stewart at +300.
The reigning league MVP, Wilson has starred for the Aces again this season, averaging 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals. But Stewart has been right there with her, averaging 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Liberty.
The WNBA’s 2023 end-of-season awards have been debated all season long. The MVP category has naturally received the most attention because of the nature of the award and the tight race among the three frontrunners: Alyssa Thomas, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson.
As a WNBA media voter, I submitted my selections for all of the major awards toward the end of the regular season. After a full-season review and careful consideration, these were my choices.
Most Valuable Player
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
The MVP award came down to a three-player race between Wilson (Aces), Stewart (Liberty) and Thomas (Sun). All three have compelling cases that made this the most difficult category to vote for. To me, though, Thomas’ overall importance to her team and her ability to impact every aspect of the game gives her the edge.
Thomas accomplished something this season that no other player in WNBA history has done, recording six triple-doubles in 2023. Her ability to impact the game can’t be understated, as she does everything for the No. 3 Sun.
She leads Connecticut with 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and she is first in the WNBA in rebounds and second in assists.
When 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones was traded to New York in the offseason, it was hard to imagine Connecticut being the third-best team in the WNBA heading into playoffs, yet here they are. That’s because of Thomas. She runs Connecticut’s offense and guards every position on defense.
Teammate DiJonai Carrington summed up Thomas’ performance well after her third triple-double of the season: “I don’t want any of y’all to get used to and normalize what she’s doing out there, for real. Like, that’s not normal.”
It’s not normal, it’s historic. And that is worthy of the MVP award.
Coach of the Year
Sandy Brondello, New York Liberty
In her second year with New York, Sandy Brondello took the Liberty from a 16-20 record to a 32-8 record. During the offseason, the Liberty saw an influx of talent with the additions of Stewart, Jones and Courtney Vanderlsoot. But Brondello’s coaching can’t be discounted simply because she now has more tools. Sure, the new talent is a large part of the franchise’s improvement, but it’s not the only piece.
Brondello was able to take a team that early in the season looked like a collection of stars who didn’t know how to play together, and turn it into a cohesive unit that is a favorite to win the WNBA title. Brondello found a way to maximize the talent of her starting five and use her bench unit wisely to elevate the whole team.
Sixth Player of the Year
DiJonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun
There were several strong candidates for Sixth Player of the Year: Dana Evans helped the Sky overcome in-season adversity and sneak into the playoffs, and Alysha Clark changed the complexity of Las Vegas on both ends of the court when she entered games. But for me, the award should go to Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington.
Early in the season, Carrington’s role was unclear and she played limited minutes. But the third-year player stayed the course and became a valuable part of the Sun playing their way to the 3-seed. In 17.2 minutes per game, she’s shooting 37% from long range and averaging 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Carrington brings an energy to both ends of the floor when she’s subbed in. Coach Stephanie White often chooses to leave her in during close game situations down the stretch, summing up her impact.
Most Improved Player
Jordin Canada, Los Angeles Sparks
It was an up-and-down season for the Sparks as they narrowly missed the playoffs, but Jordin Canada was a constant bright spot. In her second year with Los Angeles, the 28-year-old established herself as a point guard to build around.
Canada improved in every stat category this season, with career-high averages in points (13.3), assists (6.0), rebounds (3.1) and steals (2.3). Her 3-point shooting also saw a massive increase, going from 14% to 33%.
Canada has a hand in every Sparks possession when she’s on the court, both offensively and defensively. She averages 2.8 steals per 40 minutes, the best mark in the WNBA, and was also in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
This award has been Boston’s to lose all season. While Lynx guard Diamond Miller made a push when she returned from injury, Boston was steady from her first game to her last, earning her my vote.
The No. 1 draft pick averaged 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game for the Fever. She was also incredibly efficient when shooting the ball, making 57.8% of her attempts, the third-best mark in the league.
Though her team missed the playoffs, they improved drastically from last season, and Boston was a big part of that. Rookie of the Year is likely the first of many awards Boston will win throughout her career.
Defensive Player of the Year
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson earned my vote for the second year in a row because she continues to change the way opponents play against the Aces. Her presence in the paint is enough to make players shy away from driving to the lane, and when they dare to challenge her, Wilson leads the league in shot-blocking with 2.2 per game.
Wilson isn’t just a shot-blocker, either. She knows how to defend without fouling, averaging only 2.1 fouls per game, while pulling down the third-most defensive rebounds in the league. She also has good hands defensively and can extend outside the paint with 1.4 steals per game.
All WNBA First Team
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.
Jewell Loyd is the all-time single-season scoring leader for the WNBA.
Last week, Breanna Stewart held the honor, as the New York Liberty star became the first of three players this season to surpass the previous mark. But on Sunday, Loyd finished at the top of the pack, scoring 939 points in 2023 compared to Stewart’s 919. And the Seattle Storm guard did it in 38 games to Stewart’s 40.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson also broke the previous record, set by Diana Taurasi, who scored 860 points in 2006, when the league played shorter seasons. Wilson scored 912 points in 40 games in 2023.
Loyd moved past Stewart in the Storm’s second-to-last game Friday. While Stewart moved ahead of her again in the Liberty’s final game Sunday, Loyd scored 28 points in the Storm’s season finale later that day to take the record. The 29-year-old guard needed nine points to beat out Stewart — and she reached that mark in the first four minutes of the game, nailing a three-pointer with 6:33 left in the first quarter to seal her place in league history.
THE MOMENT. THE RECORD. pic.twitter.com/0UKVl2BZpv
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 10, 2023
“That wasn’t a goal of mine at all coming into the season,” Loyd said. “Even hearing about it and talking about it, it never was a goal of mine. It kind of just happened naturally. I think it’s pretty cool. What I miss, (two) games and still was able to produce the way I was producing, so that’s pretty cool.”
It was Loyd’s first game since signing a two-year supermax contract extension with Seattle, which she said Sunday was a result of her having no desire to become an unrestricted free agent.
“I didn’t have to think about it like seriously until a week ago,” Loyd said. “It’s kind of hard to make decisions while you’re in a season just because you’re not thinking about it. It takes a lot of energy and you have to focus in on what you’re going to do with your life.
“It didn’t feel like any pressure or I felt overwhelmed. At that same time, I understand the business and I knew kind of what I wanted. It was a feeling for me. At the end of the day it was a pretty easy decision.”
As Loyd moves forward with the Storm, and Stewart does the same with the Liberty, expect more records to fall. Stewart predicted as much after she broke Taurasi’s record last week.
“More games is more points,” Stewart said. “As we have 40-game seasons, and we continue to build off that, there’s going to be a lot of records that are broken.”
The WNBA single-season scoring record now belongs to Breanna Stewart.
Stewart scored 40 points in the New York Liberty’s narrow win over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday, marking her fourth time this season scoring that many points or more. But it was her 15th point of the night that broke the record, making her the WNBA’s single-season leader with 861 points on the season.
She finished the night with 885 points, and she will have the opportunity to extend her record in the final two games of the regular season. Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi had held the record since 2006.
“It means a lot,” Stewart said of the record. “Any time I’m in the same limelight as ‘D,’ it’s a huge honor.
“I have something I can like over her head a little bit,” she added, laughing. “Really appreciate everything that I’ve been able to do and wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates.”
In her first season with the Liberty, Stewart has been averaging a career-highs 23.3 points and 3.9 assists per game, as well as 9.4 rebounds per game. The 2018 WNBA MVP spent her first six seasons with Seattle.
In 2006, Taurasi set the record in just 34 games, with an average of 25.3 points per game. Stewart has benefitted from the WNBA’s expanded 40-game schedule, as Tuesday’s game was her 38th of the season.
And Stewart isn’t the only one racking up the points. Jewell Loyd has 852 points with three games left to play and likely will surpass Taurasi’s mark as well. A’ja Wilson has 846 points with two games to play and likely will do the same. Either one even could surpass Stewart by the time the season is done.
“I have this back-and-forth feeling with the scoring record, because any time I’m in the same limelight as D, it’s amazing, just because of what she’s done in her career and what she continues to do,” Stewart said. “But obviously, it’s more games. More games is more points. As we have 40-game seasons, and we continue to build off that, there’s going to be a lot of records that are broken.”
As the WNBA playoffs approach, the New York Liberty are beginning to play the best basketball they have all season.
They took the season series against the Aces, the other top team in the league, and are on a five-game win streak. They’ve also won 13 of their last 15 games. It’s a big turnaround for a team that struggled at the beginning of the season with chemistry.
But if you ask Breanna Stewart, that growth is what makes the Liberty a championship-level team.
“I see us from really how we started this season to where we are now. The growth, the experience, the way we lock in like every moment matters, that’s what you see on championship teams,” she said Friday. “We know everyone will give us their best shot, so we just want to be at our best and peak come playoff time.”
They appear to be doing just that, having held the Connecticut Sun to just 58 points in their 89-58 win. Usually one of the team’s most prolific scorers, Alyssa Thomas had just eight points, four rebounds and one assist.
Stewart had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists – a near triple-double. And of course, she continues to put herself into the MVP conversation.
“It hasn’t just been tonight, it’s all season long, and I’m not saying that because she’s my teammate,” Betnijah Laney said. “She hits every mark on the stat sheet. For us to be able to do that, she’s made a strong case for herself.”
Sabrina Ionescu made history Monday night in the New York Liberty’s 94-85 win against the Las Vegas Aces.
Her two assists pushed her to 601 in her career, making her the first player in WNBA history to have 600 rebounds and 600 assists through her first four WNBA seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
She also scored 25 points, bringing her to more than 1,500 in her career. She’s the fastest in WNBA history to reach 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 600 assists, having done so in 102 games. Shannon Johnson did it in 141 games, while Diana Taurasi did it in 145 games.
And if you ask Ionescu, the Liberty are just getting started.
“We’re just scratching the surface to our potential,” she said after the win Monday.
Breanna Stewart, a front-runner for the 2023 WNBA MVP award in her first season in New York, agreed with that sentiment.
“The trust, it takes time to build,” she said. “Sab and I understand we attract so much attention and gravity. We understand if we are in a two-person game, how are they gonna guard it? They have to give something up.”
With one month of regular season games left to play, the WNBA MVP race is getting serious as players make their cases on the court.
From 40-point games to triple-doubles, three candidates are routinely putting on MVP-level performances and are ahead of the rest, while three others deserve a mention.
Top contenders
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Last year’s MVP and Defensive Player of the Year is once again a leader for both awards. The Aces are the top team in the WNBA and the favorites to win the championship, and Wilson is the heart of their offense and defense.
A player who dominates both ends of the court automatically has a leg up in MVP conversations, and Wilson certainly does. She’s averaging a near double-double with 21.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while recording 2.2 blocks on the defensive end. Wilson’s importance to the Aces goes well beyond her impressive stat line, though.
Defensively, her rim protection allows the Las Vegas guards to play intense on-ball defense and take risks that lead to run-outs. They know if they get beat off the dribble, Wilson is there to clean up.
Some will argue against Wilson’s case for MVP because of the talent she has around her, with her All-Star and All-WNBA teammates carrying much of the responsibility. On the flip side, the Aces have four elite offensive weapons — including Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — but they know running things through Wilson is the best way to win. It’s working, as Wilson takes the most shots out of anyone on the team at 14.3 per game, and Las Vegas has the best record in the WNBA at 27-3.
And with Candace Parker out after having surgery on her foot, Wilson has taken on an even greater role. Starting on July 11, she went on an eight-game stretch of 20 or more points per game. Since then, she’s scored over 20 points in 11 of her team’s last 12 contests, including a career-high 40 points in a win over the Mystics on Friday.
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
To reach MVP status, a player has to do things that no one else has. Stewart certainly does that. Teammate Courtney Vandersloot has called the New York Liberty forward “the best player in the world,” and she has a point.
The Liberty have 11 games left in the regular season, and Stewart has already set a WNBA record by becoming the first player in history to record three 40-point games in a single season. Her first came in New York’s home opener, when Stewart dropped 45 in a win over the Fever. She did it again on July 5 in a win over the Mercury, and most recently in another victory over the Fever on Sunday.
Stewart’s season stats are also MVP-worthy. She’s averaging 23.3 points (second in the WNBA), 9.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Stewart has been consistent in her scoring efforts, finishing with single-digit points just once in her team’s 30 games.
The Liberty have the second-best record in the league at 24-6, but things haven’t necessarily been easy for the team. They were dubbed a “superteam” after bringing in Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Vandersloot to join Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney in the offseason, but early on the group of stars failed to mesh. Notably, Jones was nursing an injury at the beginning of the season that kept the former MVP from performing at the level people expected.
Through the ups and downs, Stewart was the guiding force, almost single-handedly keeping her team afloat. Now they are reaping the benefits, as one of the favorites (alongside the Aces) to win the WNBA title. That’s something the Liberty have never accomplished despite being one of the league’s first franchises. With Stewart on their roster, it’s suddenly a real possibility.
Stewart and Wilson will go head-to-head twice this week, first in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game on Tuesday and again in their teams’ final regular-season meeting of the season on Thursday.
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Stewart and Wilson will likely battle it out for the MVP trophy — conversations surrounding the award so far this season have skewed toward one or the other — but the Sun’s Alyssa Thomas deserves the same amount of attention.
The Sun are a contending team, currently third in the league with a 21-9 record. Along with the Aces and Liberty, they are one of just three teams in the WNBA with over 20 wins.
A lot changed for Connecticut in the offseason, as Jonquel Jones departed for New York and Curt Miller took a head coaching job with the Los Angeles Sparks. A drop-off from last year’s Finals appearance was expected but never happened. The Sun have stayed in contention against all odds, including an injury to reigning WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Brionna Jones, and Thomas is the biggest reason why.
Statistically, no single category jumps off Thomas’ stat page, but when you add it all together, you get the WNBA’s triple-double queen. Thomas isn’t scoring 20 points a game, but it’s hard to argue that anyone is more important to their team than she is to the Sun.
Thomas is averaging 15.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. She also does the majority of Connecticut’s ball-handling, boasting a 4.1-to-1.6 assist-to-turnover record. Thomas has been stuffing the stat sheet all season and currently holds the WNBA record for triple-doubles, with five so far in 2023. Thomas does a little bit — or in some cases a lot — of everything for her team, making her a perfect MVP candidate.
Other candidates worth mentioning
At least three other WNBA players come to mind as having MVP-type seasons. But a large part of the criteria for the award is playing for a team in contention to win a title, and right now, these players don’t fall into that category.
Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings
The Wings have the goods to make a playoff run, thanks to Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, Satou Sabally and a group of skilled role players. Sabally is healthy after battling injuries over the last couple of years, and she’s having the best season of her life.
The Oregon product is averaging 18.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game, making her an asset all over the court. The Wings are currently in fourth place in the WNBA at 16-14, with impressive wins over the Aces, Liberty and Sun.
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
With WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles in retirement, the Lynx are officially Collier’s team, and she’s up for the challenge. The 2019 first-round pick is averaging a career-high in points with 21.4 per contest, to go along with 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The Lynx are fifth in the WNBA at 14-16.
Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
The Storm star is taking on a huge role for her team now that Stewart is gone and Sue Bird has retired. She’s leading the WNBA with 24.1 points per game and 3.1 made 3-pointers per game. But Seattle is 10th in the WNBA, making it hard for Loyd to make a real case for the MVP award.
Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.
Breanna Stewart could not be contained Sunday night, and she made WNBA history in the process.
The New York Liberty star scored 42 points to help her team to a 100-89 win over the Indiana Fever. The victory set a franchise record for wins in a season with 24, with the team having won six games in a row and 10 of its last 11.
For Stewart, the win marked her third 40-point game this season. She also scored 45 points against Indiana on May 31 and 43 points against the Phoenix Mercury on July 5. She becomes the first player in WNBA history to score at least 40 points three times in the same season.
HERSTORY 🔥🔥🔥@breannastewart is the 1st player in @WNBA history with 3 40-PT games in a szn.
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 13, 2023
STEW YORK CITY FOR MVP🤩🗽#SYCforMVP pic.twitter.com/9h5FhLDGwt
Stewart is also just the third WNBA player to reach the 40-point mark three times in her career, joining Diana Taurasi (four times) and Maya Moore (three).
Alongside her big-time points total, Stewart had six rebounds and six assists. She is the first player in league history with multiple games of 40 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“I was getting some good looks,” Stewart said, noting that she felt like she locked in during the first quarter. “They were switching a lot, just continuing to read what the defense gave me. And that kind of just continued throughout [the game]. I’m really happy with how we all played, in general.”