Breanna Stewart will return to Liberty with core designation, GM says

Breanna Stewart has made a significant impact on the New York Liberty since joining the team this offseason, establishing them as title contenders. Despite a close loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the 29-year-old star is expected to continue with the team next year.

In an interview with reporters, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb expressed that Stewart will be “cored” and will not be an unrestricted free agent.

Coring in the WNBA is similar to the NFL’s franchise tag, allowing teams to designate a veteran free agent to negotiate and sign exclusively with them. The core qualifying offer is a fully guaranteed, one-year deal worth the league supermax.

Although Stewart struggled in the finals, her outstanding regular season performance earned her the WNBA MVP title. Despite facing difficulties in the championship game, she still contributed with rebounds, assists, and steals.

Stewart’s return to the Liberty on a core designation was expected, as her addition to the team earlier in the year sparked a series of impactful moves, including the signings of Courtney Vandersloot and the trade for MVP Jonquel Jones.

Stewart’s one-year deal will now turn into a supermax contract with the Liberty, replicating her previous situation with the Seattle Storm.

In an interview with The Athletic, Stewart expressed her certainty about being cored, stating her happiness in New York. On the other hand, Jones, who is also set to become an unrestricted free agent, hasn’t given it much thought.

As a former Sun forward, Jones has already played two seasons on a core contract and was not eligible to be cored again. However, she indicated her interest in returning to the Liberty.