WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart’s decision to join Fenerbahce Opet has already come to the forefront. Stewart is expected to join the Turkish club for the 2026 EuroLeague Women Final Six, which is supposedly coinciding with the WNBA training camp dates. So doesn’t that complicate matters for the New York Liberty player? Candace Parker gives her opinion on the matter.

“So everyone obviously on social media cause that’s what the internet does, takes something and runs and basically says because Stewie signing there it indicates that either the WNBA season is not starting on time or it is possibly not happening at all,” said Parker, further adding,” But I think it’s just interesting. Hey, get your bag for six weeks. I’m all for that. But it’s just weird because I feel like Unrivaled was established not to go overseas. But I wonder what people are saying in terms of, like, the founder of Unrivaled going overseas.”

Candace Parker’s comments do make you sit back and ponder. Unrivaled was built clearly with the idea that players don’t leave the country to make the extra buck during the off-season. Players have been used to traveling to Russia, Turkey, and China to augment their income, but this 3 v 3 tournament was supposed to change all that.

Unrivaled co-founder and Breanna Stewart’s business partner said it best to describe why Unrivaled would be so critical during the initial phase.

“So I talked a little bit earlier about how players go overseas. Like, you’re missing holidays with your family. When you’re overseas, you go dark, like you can’t activate with brands, you can’t grow your following,” said Napheese on the Podact P with Paul George on how things got difficult overseas.

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This inadvertently meant that you missed important time with your family. The nontop schedules also meant exhaustion, and even your brand values suffered, which happened a lot because of the distance that usually came up between the entity and the brand, and while everyone was making gaines it was ultimately the players who sacrificed the most.

So when your playing community is constantly trying to keep everyone at home safe and economically secured, the fact that a player would move out to a foreign country is something the fans are taking offence with.

“What is the purpose of Unrivaled if she is leaving to play in the EuroLeague?” a fan had asked, seeing her about to make her way to Turkey even when Unrivaled is in full swing.

Providing players with equity in the league, Unrivaled was the first of its kind to do so, but the fans aren’t excited about the prospect of having their Unrivaled leader leave amidst such turbulent times in the WNBA. The players playing in this league earn way above average, with estimated salaries of $222,222, and Breanna is such a major figure that she likely earns in the $8 million bracket.

The WNBA schedules have already been announced, but with the CBA decision still hanging in the balance, there’s nothing much to be done. Moreover, Stewart is not expected to be penalized under the current version of the WNBA’s prioritization rule. The rule is subject to collective bargaining.

Meanwhile, Stewart’s return to the Turkish league will also reunite her with players like forward Emma Meesseman and shooting guard Kayla McBride in the 2023 championship.

Stewart Returns To Turkey As The WNBA Stays In Abeyance

Breanna Stewart is all set to make her return to Istanbul as she looks to strengthen Fenerbahce. She is ready to strengthen Fenerbahce, the same team that she helped immensely during her previous stint. Her performance helped Fenerbahce win the Turkish League title, and she was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP

Stewart was brilliant and left her indelible mark on everything she did. Be it her shooting (21.7 ppg), rebounds (8.0 rpg), and assists (2.2 apg), she didn’t miss a single beat. Apart from Emma Meesseman and Kayla McBride, there are also other teammates Breanna Stewart will get in touch with –  Gabby Williams, Iliana Rupert, Sevgi Uzun, and Julie Allemand.

Breanna has been in a lot of activity of late. She is playing for Unrivaled while also negotiating the CBA deal as the WNBPA Vice-President, and is now also about to make a last-minute move to Turkey.

Had the CBA deal now actually been finalized, things would have been different, but with everything at a standstill, the choice of moving over to Turkey, even if it’s for a while, is not sitting well with the people.

Time is running out, and a lot needs to be done. FOS news has gathered information from its sources that if nothing happens by the end of this week, an imminent delay is bound to be expected.

May 8th is the official date when the WNBA goes underway, and in all likelihood, if an agreement isn’t reached, a delay will be in the cards. Breanna Stewart told FOS last month that she was “just starting to see” a resolution between the WNBA and players’ union on a new CBA, but everything still lies in obscurity.

Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver is feeling the pressure and addressed the matter during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

What I would love to do is put pressure on everyone. Often, things tend to get done at the 11th hour. We’re getting awfully close to the 11th hour when it comes to bargaining,” Silver had said, explicitly stating the same sentiment.

So it’s now or never for the WNBA. You either make a decision or wait for the season to get postponed that would be devastating for everyone involved with so much at stake. Let’s hope that the season gets back on track.