Breanna STEWART

USA

Basketball

Biography

Breanna Stewart is already one of the greatest basketball players in history and has high hopes of winning a third Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.

Born Breanna Mackenzie Baldwin, she took the name of her mother's subsequent husband who encouraged her to play basketball. After breaking records at high school, she committed to the University of Connecticut.

In her first year, she led the Huskies to the 2013 national title and became the freshman since 1987 to receive the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award. The Huskies repeated that success for the next three years with Stewart winning the MOP award on each occasion for a record total of four. She also claimed the Naismith College Player of the Year award three times.

While at college, she was picked for the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. Stewart had limited gametime but did collect a gold medal as USA retained their crown.

In 2016, she was selected first overall in the WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm. In her debut season, she captured both the Rookie of the Year Award and the ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete.

The forward also made her Olympic debut that year, coming off to score 11 points in 11 minutes in the final as Team USA defeated Spain to claim a sixth consecutive title at Rio 2016.

Breanna Stewart: the activist superstar

In 2018, Stewart led the Seattle Storm to a third WNBA title and their first since 2010. She averaged 21.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the regular season, and 24.6 points per game in the playoffs and become the first player to be named league and Finals MVP in the same year. She continued that form to the FIBA Women's World Cup, being named tournament MVP as the USA again completed a hat-trick of titles.

After missing the whole of the 2019 season through injury, Stewart made a triumphant comeback when the WNBA resumed late and behind closed doors in 2020 due to the pandemic. But before the opening game in the 'Wubble' in Bradenton, she took the microphone to speak on behalf of the players and dedicate the season to the Black Lives Matter movement.

After A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces took league MVP honours, it was Stewart who dominated the playoffs with 25.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. And in the Finals, the Storm swept the Aces 3-0 with their star forward again named Finals MVP. For her activism and on-court heroics, she was named one of Sports Illustrated's Sportspersons of the Year. Her eulogy was written by football star Megan Rapinoe, the partner of Stewart's Seattle team-mate Sue Bird. Rapinoe also recalled her bravery at revealing she had been a victim of child sexual abuse.

The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021 were part of a momentous few weeks for Stewart. She and Spanish player Marta Xargay were married just before the Games where Stewart was named MVP as the United States claimed a seventh successive Olympic title. Within 48 hours of collecting her gold medal, daughter Ruby Mae was born by surrogacy.

Stewart was the WNBA's scoring leader in 2022, but the Seattle Storm went out 3-1 in the semi-finals of the playoffs to the Aces who went on to claim a first title. That was her final season in Seattle as she joined the New York Liberty in free agency.

In her first season in her new surroundings, Stewart was named league MVP for a second time as led the Liberty to the WNBA Finals. But the Aces would prove her nemesis again with the Las Vegas franchise repeating as WNBA champions. In 2024, she'll be hoping to lead the Liberty to a first title, and clinch a third Olympic gold in Paris.

Olympic Medals

Games Participations3

First Olympic GamesRio 2016

Year of Birth1994

Social Media