The New York Liberty are planning an unusual move for Breana Stewart before free agency
While the WNBA off-season starts in full swing The New York Liberty are making a big move to keep Breana Stewart. Per Madeleine Kenny of the New York Post, the reigning WNBA champions they are set for marking Breanna Stewart as a starter before the Jan. 20 deadline. With the move, Stewart will be offered a one-year, $249,244 supermax contract.
When a team designates a core player, it offers a one-year, fully guaranteed supermax contract known as a core qualifying offer. The player has the option to play under this agreement, but is not obligated to accept it.
Teams can designate one core player, usually an unrestricted free agent, to retain their rights. The basic contract includes a fully guaranteed base salary at the supermax level. However, because Stewart was named the main player for the second year in a row, she will no longer be eligible for this designation in future seasons under the current collective bargaining agreement.
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Stewart was slated to become one of the biggest names in free agency when it began on February 1st. She was a key player in the team’s run to the WNBA championship last season, averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
Detention Stewart is the first piece of the puzzle for Liberty as they want to increase their chances of repeating as WNBA champions. The Liberty already have Jonkel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu under contract through the 2025 season. The trio of Jones, Stewart and Ionescu proved too dangerous for the teams to contend with as they sat atop the WNBA and finished the regular season with a 32-8 record. Stewart and Ionescu represented Team USA at the Paris Olympics, winning gold once again.
Liberty intends to extend reserved qualifying offers to Ivana Dojkic, Rebecca Gardner, Marina Johannes, Jaylin Sherrod and Stewart before the Jan. 20 deadline. The move will give New York exclusive rights to negotiate with them next season, but does not guarantee they will return.
2025-01-11 22:52:00
