This week, the WNBA announced that New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart has been named the 2023 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player.
By winning the award, Stewart has become the first MVP in Liberty franchise history, as well as the first honoree in New York professional basketball since 1969-1970.
During this past regular season — her first with the Liberty — Stewart put up career-bests of 23 points and 3.8 assists per game, to go along with averaging 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.5 steals.
In addition to helping the Liberty achieve a franchise-best 32-8 (.800) regular season record, as well leading the team to its first-ever Commissioner’s Cup Championship, “Stewie” also had herself quite a historic season from an individual standpoint.
Among the individual accomplishments garnered by the Liberty all-star forward this season include setting a WNBA record for 40-point games in a season (which she achieved four times), putting up the second most regular season points of all-time (919), tying the WNBA single-season record for 35-point games (five times), and setting a Liberty single-season record for rebounds (371).
“Stewie’s first season with the New York Liberty has been nothing short of historic on every level,” said Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb. “The constant resiliency, belief, selflessness, toughness, and professionalism she has brought to the Liberty on a nightly basis is an incredibly rare combination – culminating in such a special season, both personally and collectively.”
This is Stewart’s second WNBA MVP Award of her career, having previously earned the honor in 2018 with the Seattle Storm, making her just the second player to win the award on multiple teams.
Additionally, Stewart is also only the eighth player in WNBA history to win the MVP award multiple times, joining a prestigious list that includes such legendary players as Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Candace Parker, among others.
