On Monday morning, it was announced that New York Liberty star and Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart had signed with Turkish club Fenerbahçe.
Stewart, a two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and two-time EuroLeague champion, played for Fenerbahce in the 2022-23 season, which was her most recent stint in international basketball.
Stewart currently plays for Mist BC in Unrivaled, so she will not join Fenerbahçe immediately. However, she should help a Fenerbahçe team that already has Emma Meesseman, Gabby Williams and Kayla McBride compete in the EuroLeague Final Six, which will be played in mid-April.
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The Final Six ends on April 19.the first scheduled day of WNBA training camp.
While her return to European basketball won’t affect her unrivaled season, it’s getting dangerously close to the WNBA schedule. The W has been notoriously strict about player commitments overseas and has punished players for prioritizing away assignments during the WNBA season. Williams, her future teammate at Fenerbahçe, has been a notable voice against the prioritization rules, as she missed a significant portion of the 2024 WNBA season to fulfill her European commitments.
The 2020 CBA stated that players must report to their WNBA teams by May 1, or the start of training camp if that date was later than May 1. While the new CBA’s prioritization clause (or lack thereof) is unclear at this time, Stewart’s signing almost feels like a slap in the face to the WNBA.
As it should be!
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Even if Stewart ends up being able to return to Liberty before May 1, the slim margin she gives herself is a statement in itself.
Stewart hasn’t felt the need to play in Europe since 2023. With the marquee deals, Unrivaled and her WNBA contract, it’s hard to believe she’s motivated by any financial incentive. We can’t put words in his mouth, but his move to Fenerbahçe seems closely linked to a well-documented lack of trust in the new CBA and the WNBA leadership in general.
It’s entirely possible that Stewart had a simple epiphany when she was told she missed European basketball. After all, she has had many successes on that side of the globe. She may also be reminding WNBA executives that there are plenty of non-W options for high-caliber players, and that they don’t do it have a monopoly on elite women’s basketball.
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Finally, there is a good chance that Stewart’s signing is not a threat at all, but rather a real response to the CBA negotiations. Stewart is vice president of the WNBAPA and has participated in countless meetings about the future of the league. Maybe she’s not trying to send a message to the W, but is instead predicting a delayed season and therefore plans to play elsewhere.
Once again, that’s all speculation.
We know Stewart will resume in yellow and black, and any ulterior motives could only be fictional. Still, with all indications that tensions remain surrounding the CBA negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA, there’s never a bad time to read between the lines.
