Breanna Stewart picked up her daughter, Ruby, and had some special words to say to the 2-year-old in front of everyone in the interview room Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.
“Being a role model for you, Ruby, is really what keeps me going,” Stewart told her after receiving a coveted trophy from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “And today you see your mom win MVP.”
Stewart, 29, won his first MVP award with Seattle in 2018.
She received it in front of her family and teammates before the Liberty’s victory over Connecticut in Game 2 of the semifinals.
Stewart said she was “proud” to be the first Liberty player to win the MVP award in its 27-year history.
A lot has changed since the last season when she won.
“I was thinking about it a little bit and the last time I won this award compared to now – obviously being married, having a baby, expecting another one on the way, breaking my Achilles tendon,” said Stewart.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Just to continue to show that resilience works, and regardless of the ups and downs, you have to keep moving forward.
“And to be the first Liberty athlete to win an MVP, I think that’s huge. . . I’m proud to be the first.
The vote from a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters was close.
Stewart, who is also a two-time Finals MVP, earned 20 first-place votes, 23 seconds and 17 thirds and finished with 446 total points.
Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas received more first-place votes, with 23. But she finished seven points behind Stewart with 439. So it was the second-closest finish on record.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, the 2022 MVP, came in third with 433 points.
Ten points were awarded for a first place vote, seven for a second place, five for a third place, three for a fourth place and one for a fifth place vote.
“Stewie’s first season with the New York Liberty was nothing short of historic on every level,” said general manager Jonathan Kolb. “The consistent resilience, belief, selflessness, tenacity and professionalism she brought to Liberty every night is an incredibly rare combination – culminating in such a special season, both personally and collectively.”
After signing with the Liberty as a free agent following his six seasons and two championships with the Storm, Stewart became the driving force behind the winningest regular season in franchise history with a 32-8 record. , good for the second seed.
“We’re very happy to have him in New York,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “We wouldn’t be here today (without her).”
Stewart, 6-4, was second in the league in scoring with 23 points per game, third in rebounding with 9.3 and fourth in blocks with 1.57. She also averaged 3.8 career assists and made 35.5 percent of her three-point attempts.
SheStewart set a Liberty record for points in a season with 919 – second in league history – and a franchise single-season record with 371 rebounds. She also set a league record with four games of at least 40 points and tied another with five games of at least 35.
Certainly, there was satisfaction for her. Stewart cited the ability “to go out every night from 2018 to now 2023 and know that the body of work that I’ve done is undeniable, and to make sure that I have that to fall back on every night and to to believe and know that I’m great and I’m showing everyone what greatness is.
