Has Breanna Stewart won a WNBA championship? Liberty star leads Game 3 comeback in pursuit of third ring

Breanna Stewart’s legacy as one of women’s basketball’s greatest talents is well-documented.

But her performance in recent WNBA Finals contests left something to be desired — Stewart faltered when New York fell to Las Vegas in four games in 2023, then came undone in the Liberty’s Game 1 defeat to the Lynx just a few days back.

With Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on the horizon and the five-game series knotted at 1-1, New York needed its supernova to deliver. After falling behind by as many as 15 points, that belief grew stronger still.

Stewart was more than willing to answer the call.

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The 2023 WNBA MVP was a force on both ends of the floor Wednesday night, pouring down buckets on one side of the floor and swatting them away on the other. She finished the contest with 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting. She added 11 rebounds and four blocks as well, all vital contributions in the Liberty’s 80-77 win over Minnesota.

Sabrina Ionescu’s parking-lot triple at the death will certainly draw much of the plaudits for Wednesday’s duel — and rightfully so. But it was Stewart who was the biggest reason by Sandy Brondello’s side had a chance to win the game as the clock expired. Stewie was as effective as ever, using her harrowing length and languid movement to rip the Lynx’s defense to shreds.

— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) October 17, 2024In the process, she asserted her claim as one of the sport’s deadliest assassins. When winning time comes knocking, Stewart tends to deliver.

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Breanna Stewart championship ringsStewart has six championship titles to her name — two coming from her time in the W, the other four obtained while starring at UConn.

Stewart and the Huskies were nigh on unstoppable during her time on campus, cruising to national championships in each of her four years with the program. Stewart went 151-5 in Storrs, including UConn’s 111-game win streak.

Geno Auriemma’s side was teeming with talent, with Stefanie Dolson, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams and Napheesa Collier among those to show out during their time at Gampel Pavilion. None could compare to Stewart, who won four Most Outstanding Player awards and three Naismith Player of the Year titles during her four-year odyssey with the Huskies.

Stewart had to wait a little longer to taste gold at the big-league level. Still, she dazzled when the opportunity arose, capturing Finals MVP honors after leading the Storm past the Mystics in 2018.

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History repeated itself two years later — albeit in different circumstances. Playing games in the “Wubble”, Stewart outshined first-time MVP A’ja Wilson to lead Seattle to a sweep over the Aces. The Storm didn’t lose a game in their tournament run. Stewart — having averaged 25.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 on 53.8 percent shooting throughout the postseason — was the easy choice for Finals MVP.

She couldn’t quite hit those marks in 2023, her first year with New York. With her performance Wednesday, though, she’s just one game away from adding to that collection in style.

Have the New York Liberty ever won a WNBA title?The Liberty have yet to win a WNBA title. They’ve gotten about as close as a franchise can get to hoisting the gold, losing in five WNBA Finals, the most recent of which came last year, when they were dumped in four games by Wilson and the Aces.