New York Liberty planning unsurprising Breanna Stewart move before free agency
01/11/2025 05:52 PM
As the WNBA offseason sets to kick into full swing the New York Liberty are making a big move to retain Breanna Stewart. Per Madeline Kenney of the New York Post, the reigning WNBA champions are set to designate Breanna Stewart as a core player before the deadline of January 20th. With the move, Stewart will be offered a one-year, $249,244 supermax deal.
When a team designates a core player, they offer a one-year, fully guaranteed supermax contract known as a core qualifying offer. The player has the option to play under this deal but is not obligated to accept it.
Teams can designate one core player, usually an unrestricted free agent, to retain their rights. A core contract includes a fully guaranteed base salary at the supermax level. However, since Stewart is being designated as a core player for the second consecutive year, she will no longer be eligible for this designation in future seasons under the current collective bargaining agreement.
Stewart was set to become one of the biggest names in the free agency pool when it started on February 1st. She was a key player in the team’s run to the WNBA Championship on last season, averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Retaining Stewart is the first piece of the puzzle for the Liberty as they look to increase their chances of repeating as WNBA Champions. The Liberty already has Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu under contract through the 2025 season. The trio of Jones, Stewart, and Ionescu proved to be too formidable for teams to battle against as they sat atop the WNBA to finish the regular season with a 32-8 record. Stewart and Ionescu represented Team USA at the Paris Olympics, winning gold once more.
The Liberty intends to extend reserved qualifying offers to Ivana Dojkić, Rebekah Gardner, Marine Johannès, Jaylyn Sherrod, and Stewart ahead of the January 20 deadline. The move will allow New York exclusive negotiating rights with them next season but it doesn’t guarantee that they’ll return.
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