The New York Liberty have clinched the No. 1 seed for the 2024 WNBA playoffs, which means their journey to redemption is officially underway. For Breanna Stewart, falling short of the trophy last year is something that is fueling this year's effort.
"The returners definitely think about the loss in the finals last year as motivation this year," Breanna Stewart told CBS Sports. "It's a little bit of a mix of both because it is a new season, but making sure that continues to fuel us and understand that the things we did wrong then, we are not going to let them happen again."
The Liberty are the only original WNBA franchise to not win a title yet. The talent was there last year, but they were only able to win one game in the 2023 WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces.
New York bounced back from that heartbreak this season, earning the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2015. The Liberty officially got the job done with an 87-71 win against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.
"It's really important for us because the No. 1 seed, (which) means you hold home-court advantage through the entire course of the playoffs," Stewart said. "In the W, where there is so much parity and all the teams are really good, you lean on your fans and the presence that Barclays has. That's been a goal of ours."
The Liberty suffered back-to-back losses in May, but those struggles didn't last long and they went on to tie a 2023 franchise-record with 32 wins. They also became the first team in WNBA history to reach 32 wins in consecutive seasons. New York plays its last regular-season game Thursday against the Atlanta Dream.
"My team has grown tremendously since the beginning of the season until now," Stewart said. "I think the way we continue to step up to the plate, whether people are out with injuries or whatever the case may be, we have this attitude of 'no excuses.' We all want to be better and trust one another. Trusting the process, and making sure that any mistake that we make, we correct it and we don't let it happen again."
Stewart, last year's league MVP, has been the one leading New York's effort. She is averaging 20.6 points per game, fourth most in the league, while shooting 45.8% from the field. The UConn product is also contributing 8.7 rebounds per contest along with a team-high 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks.
Stewart already won two WNBA titles during her time with the Seattle Storm, but she is currently at the peak of her career and is hungry for more. She cares a lot about her achievements on the court and gets motivated by chasing what WNBA legends like Diana Taurasi have achieved.
But, of course, pulling off the best season in franchise history, chasing a third WNBA championship, or even winning another Olympic gold medal with Team USA has not been enough for Stewart. While all of that is happening, she has also been working on some big projects.
Stewart and Napheesa Collier created a new women's basketball league called "Unrivaled," which will be debut in January 2025. That league will give players an option to make extra money during the WNBA offseason without having to play overseas. Stewart also partnered with Clif Bar and The Ark to fund basketball hoops as a part of a court build-out for youth in Jackson, Miss.
Stewart's life is "pretty hectic" right now, and being a mom ensures she faces a "constant state of chaos." Still, Stewart believes this is the perfect time to get things done.
"When you think about it, it's a lot. It's important to do it now because I have this incredible platform," Stewart said. "I want to make sure that as I continue to grow and get better, so does everything around me. Just raising the bar in everything that we do between Unrivaled and The Arc, there is a lot happening.
"But also the momentum behind women's sports is something that hasn't happened before, and really taking advantage of it and making sure everybody knows we are amazing. We are great basketball players, but also look at all the other things we are able to do as well in between the W season, the Olympics, all the things. Our impact goes beyond what happens on the basketball court."
The 2024 WNBA Playoffs will tip off Sunday. The matchups and tip times will be revealed at the conclusion of the regular season.
