CNN
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Breanna Stewart was named the WNBANew York Most Valuable Player for the second time in her career, becoming the first New York Liberty player in history to win the award.
Stewart ranked second in scoring for the 2023 season, averaging 23 points per game, and third in rebounding. The forward previously won the MVP award in 2018 when she played for the Seattle Storm.
In her first season with the Liberty, the two-time WNBA champion led New York to one of the best regular season records of all time (32-8).
The results of the vote by a panel of 60 sports journalists and broadcasters were close. Stewart took the crown by just seven points over Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, with Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, the 2020 and 2022 league MVP, third in the voting, just six points behind Thomas .
This is the narrowest gap between the top three in the history of the price.
“It’s been an incredible season overall for the WNBA and seeing what all the best players have done is only going to make this league brighter and better,” Stewart told reporters.
“The fact that there are multiple people in the conversation, obviously AT and A’ja have had incredible seasons, just shows that we are reaching new heights and doing things that have never been done before and we let’s keep showing it. greatness shines in different ways.
“The fact that this race was incredibly close is kind of crazy, but I’m happy to be here today.”
Just hours after receiving her award, Stewart helped the Liberty tie their WNBA playoff semifinal 1-1 against the Connecticut Sun.
The Liberty, vying for a first-ever WNBA title, beat the Sun 84-77 behind 21 points from Sabrina Ionescu, 20 points from Betnijah Laney and a double-double from Stewart of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
