Liberty star Breanna Stewart plans to return to Euroleague’s Fenerbahce Opet in April as uncertainty over the 2026 WNBA season looms.
Fenerbahce announced on Tuesday that Stewart re-signed with the Turkish club and plans to help the club in its playoff campaign in April.
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Stewart is scheduled to compete in the Final Six in Zaragoza, Spain, which takes place April 15-19.
Stewart’s new signing comes at an interesting time as WNBA collective bargaining continues to drag on.
WNBA training camps are scheduled to open April 19, but players have until May 1 to report without penalty. The season is scheduled to open on May 8. However, a possible delayed start to the 2026 season cannot be ruled out as social negotiations continue.
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Changes to the league’s prioritization rules are under consideration, although they are unlikely to apply to the first year of the new deal.
Stewart last played for Fenerbahce during the 2022-23 season, leading the franchise to its first EuroLeague women’s championship. She was named Final Four MVP that year and made the All-EuroLeague first team.
Breanna Stewart of The Mist dribbles the ball against the Laces during the Unrivaled 2026 game. Getty Images
Stewart did not play during the 2023-24 WNBA offseason as she and Napheesa Collier laid the groundwork for their revolutionary 3v3 basketball leagueUnparalleled, which will be launched the following year.
Part of Stewart and Collier’s goal in creating Unrivaled — a Miami-based league — was to ensure players could stay in the United States during the WNBA offseason rather than having to play overseas to supplement their income.
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A representative for Stewart did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The ball is currently in the hands of the National Women’s Basketball Players Association to submit a new proposal to the CBA after the WNBA finally shared a counteroffer with the players’ union on February 6. Before that, the WNBPA waited six weeks for a response from the league.
Differing views on what is an acceptable and fair revenue sharing system remain one of the sticking points that have stalled discussions.
Despite the continuous back and forthStewart recently expressed optimism about progress in the negotiations.
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“I feel better,” Stewart said in a recent episode of his podcast, “Game Recognize Game with Stewie and Myles” Turner. “I feel like the owners are finally really recognizing and being receptive to what we want and the players as well.”
Breanna Stewart (R) of Fenerbahce Alagoz Holding in action during the FIBA EuroLeague Women 2023 final. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Until a collective agreement is ratified, the The WNBA cannot move forward with a two-team expansion draft, free agency and the college draft. All of these events must take place before training camp opens.
Stewart is an unrestricted free agent in the WNBA, but has publicly shared her intention to re-sign with the Liberty for the 2026 season.
Last season, Stewart averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 46.1 percent in 31 games for the Liberty.
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She currently plays for Mist at Unrivaled, averaging 19.7 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Unrivaled’s regular season will end at the end of this month. The playoffs are scheduled to be played from February 28 to March 4. The semifinal matches on March 2 will be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, while the rest will take place in Miami.
