NEW YORK – Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot have won titles together by playing abroad. The two hope their championship pedigrees can help the New York Liberty win their first WNBA championship.
The Liberty made the biggest splash of the offseason, signing the two free agents and trading for Jonquel Jones, giving New York one of the strongest lineups in the league. Stewart and Vandersloot play together in Turkey but are currently on hiatus from the overseas league. They also played in teams with Jones in winter in Russia.
“I speak for myself and I believe Sloot when I say that we both play in the WNBA together and we wanted to strive for a WNBA championship together,” Stewart said during a news conference Thursday at the Barclays Center. “It’s much better to be on their side than against them.”
The pair took less than the $228,000 maximum salary to play together in New York so the team could bring all of its stars below the league’s salary cap. They don’t see themselves as starting a trend of signing with teams that receive financial rebates on top talent.
“I think what we’re setting a precedent for is being willing to play with other great players, wanting to win and doing whatever it takes to make that happen,” Stewart said.
Stewart had spent her entire career in Seattle since The Storm drafted her No. 1 overall in 2016. She won the championship with the team in 2018 and 2020.
The 28-year-old winger has averaged 20.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in her WNBA career. She missed the 2019 season with an Achilles tendon injury.
“Today is a historic day for the New York Liberty organization and fanbase,” said Jonathan Kolb, Liberty general manager. “Stewie and Sloot are winners and the choice of Liberty in Free Agency shows that we are fully committed to bringing a championship to New York. Both players are among the greats in the league, perfect teammates and strong personalities.”
Vandersloot had played with Chicago since Sky drafted the Gonzaga guard third in 2011. She helped Chicago win their only championship in 2021. Vandersloot, the No. 3 all-time assist roster in the WNBA, averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 assists for the Sky last season.
“I was part of a first-time champion at the Chicago Sky. I know how special this first time is,” said Vandersloot. “So it’s special to bring this first time for the Liberty. There is still a lot to do before that.”
Coming to New York brings former UConn star Stewart closer to home. She grew up in Syracuse, which is an hour’s flight away. She will also have a shorter flight to Spain to visit relatives of her wife Marta.
Representatives from New York, including coach Sandy Brondello and co-owner Clara Wu Tsai, met with Stewart in Turkey last week.
“As you know, at the start of the off-season, our goal was to really put together the best possible team to fight for a championship,” Tsai said. “I really think we’re capable of that.”
___
More AP women’s basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.
