Breanna Stewart couldn’t help but flash a big smile during the press conference Friday before the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.
The former UConn star sat next to her longtime USA basketball teammate Brittney Griner, whom she had recruited to play for Team Stewart in Saturday night’s game in Las Vegas.
Just a year ago, Stewart and her other WNBA counterparts used this weekend as a platform to call attention to the fact that Griner was being unjustly detained overseas.
“Looking at last year, especially at All-Star and throughout the season, it felt like there was a void in the WNBA and something was missing, and that was BG” , Stewart said. “We continued to do everything we could to make sure she knew we were still thinking about her, that we were still fighting for her.
“But moving on to this year’s All Star, it’s amazing to have her here, obviously to have her sitting next to me, to have her on my team – she was like my number one, I want To say, I had to do some behind-the-scenes negotiations to make sure everything happened the way I wanted. But it’s amazing.
After talking about how great it was to be in the All-Star Game again without even knowing if she would be in the United States at that point, one of the first things Griner was asked about was Unrivaled, the recently launched women’s basketball league by Stewart and her former Husky teammate Napheesa Collier to combat the WNBA’s new prioritization rules and give top players the opportunity to play domestically rather than overseas during the offseason. The league was a common topic of discussion Friday.
“Well, I’m never going overseas again, so I think I’m free,” Griner said with a laugh. “But I think what they’re doing is amazing. Whether I play it or not, I will definitely be there, I will watch and I will be there. So I’ll have to go ahead and get on board – not one-on-one though, I’m not interested in that one.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to do it,” Stewart interjected. “She doesn’t have to.”
Beyond the concerns highlighted by Griner’s situation and the prioritization rules that now come into effect, there are also marketing concerns about playing overseas, which the Unrivaled league hopes to help alleviate. These were addressed by some players on Friday.
“It’s definitely not easy,” Atlanta Dream forward Cheyenne Parker said. “I’ve been there every season between WNBA seasons and I don’t have any support at the moment, so it kind of shows the disconnect. It’s hard because you’re in another country, so you kind of become irrelevant. So just being able to have more opportunities to stay in the country and even out the amount of money that you’re making, that would be helpful.
Las Vegas Aces goalie Chelsea Gray, who has previously shown public support for Unrivaled, echoed that sentiment.
“Being abroad, you’re just far away, aren’t you. Out of sight, it’s a little out of mind, to put it in a broad perspective,” Gray said. “And so being able to be at home, our faces and our images and our appearance, we can go there, but abroad is where we make our bread. That’s where it’s always been, at least since I’ve been in the league. My first year, they were just telling me, “You have to go abroad, you have to go abroad. »
“Now it’s the culture and the perspective that’s changing. But that didn’t allow for growth off the field as much as it did on the brand level, seeing our face. So the new league that’s coming will allow that kind of life to be able to happen, to continue to hoop, to play basketball, to be in the United States, to be with our families, our experiences and continue to earn money.
Collier and Stewart reiterated that the response since announcing Unrivaled’s launch on July 6 has been excellent. And it’s clearly evident with the growing excitement surrounding All-Star weekend.
“A lot of people have contacted me – players, staff, people who want to invest – just to learn more and about the possibility of how to do it and where to go about it,” Stewart said. “So I think yeah, it’s perfect timing for All Star Weekend, but really for Phee and I with an approach, it’s if the players want to know more, then we’ll talk to them about it.
“But everyone has enough things to do this weekend, you know, everyone’s schedules are pretty busy. But these All Star Game players are obviously players who will hopefully be a part of Unrivaled.
A showdown with the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun players DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas will both play as reserves for Team Wilson, led by Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson and led by Aces head coach Becky Hammon and her staff , Saturday night.
That means they will replace Stephanie White and the rest of the Sun coaching staff, who are leading the way for Team Stewart.
So, have there already been any exchanges between the two parties?
“Not yet, but when I make a three, I’m going to point over there and talk to some, you know what, for sure,” Bonner said with a laugh. “I’m definitely talking bullshit. This is probably the only time I’ll be able to do this. So if I do one, I’m definitely pointing the finger at (Stephanie White).
While Bonner may be eager to make 3-pointers, Thomas has a slightly different approach.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Thomas said. “I’ll probably just do some cardio tomorrow.”
