Breanna Stewart knows a thing or two about winning titles. After winning four NCAA national championships at the University of Connecticut, she was part of two WNBA championship teams.
Now she has a chance to help the New York Liberty win their first ever title.
“It’s a huge moment for New York basketball, for the Liberty, and we want to take advantage of it,” said Stewart, the 2023 WNBA MVP.
Other key pieces to the team are 2021 League MVP Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, who helped the Liberty punch their ticket to the Finals with a semifinal win over the Connecticut Sun.
It’s now a clash of the titans with Las Vegas, and Stewart says that now more than ever, the team needs to stick together.
“It’s going to be a long series, and it’s not going to be a play that makes or breaks anything, you just have to keep playing it,” Stewart said.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said after two very physical playoffs, the team needs to stay true to its identity as it heads to the finals.
“We obviously have respect for our opponent, and they are last year’s champions, but we have to go out there and show how we want to play on both ends of the court and have confidence,” Brondello said.
One aspect of this title run has not been lost on Liberty’s players and coaches, the opportunity to take the WNBA to new heights through what should prove to be an epic series.
“People are paying attention, and that’s what we want, we want people to be able to come and enjoy what we’re doing there and now that we’re here and we’re doing it at the highest level, it’s really special,” said Liberty’s Betnijah Laney, who played another key role in this run to the final.
As Brondello says, may the best team win, but I hope this raises the profile and shows the wonderful athletes that play in the league.
