The New York Liberty, battered with injuries throughout the regular season, managed to finish only eighth in the standings. Straight away, the 2024 champions were not deemed a championship contender this season. But UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma knows better. After all, his most decorated star is leading the Liberty to postseason success.
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If not for Breanna Stewart, the Liberty may not have qualified for the playoffs. And Stewart played a crucial role in helping the Liberty become the first eighth-seeded team to sweep the top-seeded team (Minnesota Lynx) in the first round of the postseason. Speaking at the Big East Media Day on Thursday, the legendary UConn coach revealed what makes Stewart so effective.
“When there’s a medal, when there’s a trophy that goes to the winner, don’t bet on anybody other than her. It’s been like that since she was 15 years old, when I first saw her play.”
Geno Auriemma spoke highly of Stewart, via New York Post reporter Madeline Kenny on X.
Without a doubt, Stewart is one of Auriemma’s greatest players, and some might say the greatest. Under his tutelage, Stewart won four consecutive NCAA championships and four consecutive Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards. That is not all, as Stewart is also a three-time Naismith College Player of the Year winner. Stewart is the only player in NCAA history to record at least 400 blocked shots and 400 assists.
So yes, Auriemma has more than some degree of certainty to claim Stewart is better than anyone when a trophy is on the line, except Diana Taurasi, whom he also coached in a different UConn era. Regardless, a decade after she left college, we are still witnesses to Breanna Stewart’s greatness.
The first-round matchup against the Lynx is the latest and probably one of the best examples of Stewart’s overall prowess on the hardwood. In Game 1, Stewart recorded a game-high 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead the Liberty to a crucial 91-75 away victory, with several question marks surrounding the team.
Following Stewart’s carry job in Game 1 and the Liberty now having the momentum, Game 2 at the Barclays Center saw the whole team contribute, thanks to the floor general igniting the fire. Stewart scored 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists, as the Liberty swept the Lynx.
Following the Liberty entering the semifinals, Auriemma also pointed out how the Stewart-led Team USA in the most recent FIBA Women’s World Cup was in doubt because of how well France was playing. In their previous meeting at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, Team USA barely managed to beat France in the finals. So this time, the pressure was on them again.
“All her success has prepared her for what she’s doing now, and you saw it at the (World Cup) when they started questioning, ‘Well, maybe this is the year France is going to get them.’ And I thought to myself, you can’t question that kid during the playoffs.”
And sure enough, Breanna Stewart had the answers. She led a young Team USA core against France in the final and won the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, recording a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Moreover, Stewart also won the World Cup MVP honor, the second of her illustrious career.
Now, standing in front of the New York Liberty is Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream, whom they lost twice to in back-to-back games following the World Cup break.
But as Geno Auriemma said, “There’s a regular-season Breanna Stewart, and then there’s a postseason Breanna Stewart.”
The Liberty floor general has already shown that against the Lynx, and it will be interesting to see how Stewart and the Liberty tackle one of the most physical teams in the league at the biggest stage.