Liberty plan to keep Breanna Stewart via core designation

The New York Liberty are set to designate Breanna Stewart as a core player to prevent her from becoming an unrestricted free agent, according to Jonathan Kolb, the general manager of the Liberty.

Stewart, who was named the 2023 MVP, reaffirmed on Friday her excitement for the team’s future in New York and her commitment to staying with the Liberty for many years to come.

New York aims to maintain its relatively new core of players, most of whom joined the team in Brooklyn during the previous offseason. The team hopes to build on its 3-1 series loss in the Finals against the two-time defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces.

The core designation for Stewart resembles the franchise tag in the NFL. Once the Liberty officially core her, Stewart cannot sign directly with another team. She will have the option to sign a core qualifying offer, which is a one-year supermax contract, or negotiate different contract terms.

While Stewart can be designated as a core player, the 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones cannot be because she has already played two years under the core designation. Jones will be an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming season. She expressed her desire to have discussions with the Liberty regarding her future plans and stated that she is leaning towards returning to the team.

Kolb praised Jones as arguably their best player in terms of consistency during the postseason. Jones averaged 17.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in the playoffs, where the Liberty had a record of 6-4.

“Retaining her is a priority for us, and we will continue negotiating with her throughout the offseason,” said Kolb.

Courtney Vandersloot, Stewart, and Jones all joined the team last offseason, along with the 2020 No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu and All-Star Betnijah Laney. This group has been referred to as the WNBA’s newest “superteam.” Vandersloot is already under contract for the next year, as are Ionescu and Laney. Jones had one year remaining on her contract when she was traded from the Connecticut Sun, and Stewart signed a one-year deal.

Overall, the season was a resounding success for the New York Liberty, especially considering their recent struggles in the league. They posted the best winning percentage in franchise history with an .800 record during the regular season, and they returned to the Finals for the first time since 2002. The team also experienced a revitalization of their fan base, with sellout crowds at Barclays Center, including approximately 34,000 fans across the two Finals games.

However, the sting of falling short of their ultimate goal lingers.

“When you set ambitious goals and fail to achieve them, it can feel like a disappointment. But this season was not a failure,” stated Ionescu. “We have accomplished something unprecedented in such a short time, with the entire city supporting us. It’s a success.”

Stewart added, “Our goal at the start of the season wasn’t just to reach the Finals. We were not content with coming one game away from winning it all. We wanted to win, and now we need to build on that and remember how it feels to be here.”

The Liberty faced tough competition on their road to the Finals, including a Washington Mystics team that proved to be stronger than their No. 7 seed suggested and the No. 3-seeded Connecticut Sun, whom they defeated in four games.

However, in the Finals, the Aces showed the chemistry of a team that had played together for years. They won the first two games of the series by a combined 45 points and overcame the absences of point guard Chelsea Gray and center Kiah Stokes due to foot injuries in Game 4.

“We are close. We defeated Vegas multiple times this year, not just once. It was not a fluke,” said coach Sandy Brondello, referring to New York’s three victories over the Aces in August. “This indicates that we are on the right track. We play the right way. We just need to do it better for longer periods when things aren’t going well.”

Kolb emphasized the need to strengthen the team’s bench, particularly on the defensive end. Players and Brondello also highlighted the importance of continued growth and cohesion within the group, using their Finals loss as motivation.

“For us, the silence in the locker room after the loss will fuel us this offseason,” said Ionescu. “I believe that next year, around this time, we will look back and see this as the best thing that ever happened to us.”

Ionescu revealed that she received an injection to play the first two Finals games in Las Vegas after suffering a hip injury in the final game of the series against Connecticut.

Meanwhile, Stewart acknowledged that she did not perform at her best in the playoffs, shooting 35.8% from the field and 19.6% from 3-point range. She plans to improve her understanding of how teams defend her, work on her stamina for the demanding WNBA season and the Olympics next year, and strive for consistent progress in all aspects of her game. In her expanded leadership role, she recognized the importance of collective and individual efforts to overcome challenges.

The loss on the championship stage was a new experience for the 2023 MVP, who had never lost in the NCAA tournament during her college career and remained undefeated in Finals series while playing for the Seattle Storm.

“My mindset going forward is to ensure that I never feel that way again,” Stewart declared.