A bombshell rocked the world of WNBA as a basketball legend is returning to her former club. Breanna Stewart, or rather Vice President Stewart of the WNBPA, has committed to the Turkish club Fenerbahce Opet, which is making fans wonder if something really is amiss with this year’s WNBA.

Fenerbahce recently declared that she will be joining the team in April. Now that is also the time when the WNBA pre-season games are supposed to start, so does this signal the delayed start of the WNBA?

The CBA deal is in a dicey situation with ample deliberations going on with the revenue sharing, where the league is hesitant to acknowledge the WNBPA’s demand of 30% shares out of gross revenue. As a result, both parties still haven’t been able to come to terms, which is inevitably jeopardizing the whole WNBA season, although the schedules have been laid out.

Coming back to Breanna, this would mark her return to Turkey as she aims to add a third EuroLeague championship to her resume. She led Opet to their first-ever title in 2023, dominating the league, and was named the Final Four MVP with a stellar performance of 21.7 ppg and 8 rpg. She will be aiming to hit the same level during her second stint.

Meanwhile, the fans of the WNBA are dreading something more sinister brewing behind the scenes as a key figure announced her exit.

Fans Question Stewart’s Move to Turkey Amid CBA Stalemate

It didn’t take long for the WNBA fans to put 2 + 2 together as Breanna announced her decision. The question of why one of the core WNBPA committee members chose to take off when there is so much to be done with regard to the CBA deal became relevant.

“yeah we’re not getting a wnba season are we 😭😭,” one fan posted, fearing the worst. “Say goodbye to the 2026 season starting on time,” another added.

Ironically, it was Breanna Stewart who had calmed the fans and told them that there was no need to panic just a couple of days back. “I’m feeling better. I’m feeling like the owners are finally really acknowledging and being receptive to what we want and the players as well,” Stewart said. Which is why her decision to go overseas left many fans confused and questioning the timeline.

“Somehow Stewie going overseas means to me the WNBA isn’t starting soon, because why would she do that?” a third fan wondered.

Notably, Breanna’s New York Liberty has a lot of preseason games lined up in April and May. They play the Indiana Fever on April 26th, and on 1st May, they have a game against the Dallas Wings before their first official season game on 9th May against the Connecticut Suns.

But it’s worth noting that the timeline may not be as concerning as it seems.

“everyone dramatic af on here for no reason,” one fan wrote, calling out the overreaction.

For context, the EuroLeague Final Six is scheduled for April 15–19 in Zaragoza, Spain, which could overlap with the start of WNBA training camp. However, since the tournament wraps up on April 19 and is being held not far from her home in Catalonia, Stewie should still have enough time to return and report without any issues. Players are required to report by the beginning of the WNBA season, with May 1 serving as the key deadline.

That said, with the union’s cryptic messaging around the CBA talks, uncertainty still lingers over whether the season will begin on time.

Still, not all of the reaction was about the timeline. Some fans questioned the move itself, especially given the rise of Unrivaled. “I thought Unrivaled was so that they don’t have to go overseas. I get it’s an easy 💰 but …,” one wrote.

After all, as a co-founder, Stewart helped build Unrivaled around the idea of giving players a stateside offseason option rather than sending them overseas.

But given Stewart’s prior ties with the club and the team’s status as a strong championship favorite, the move makes sense. Liberty star’s performances at Unrivaled are showing how ready she is to go. Ranked 8th with 19.7 ppg, she is in incredible form and chose to return to Turkey, abandoning the WNBA ship.

All in all, Fenerbahce is bringing Stewart in to win. She’ll be joined by Liberty teammate Emma Meesseman and Seattle star Gabby Williams. The roster also includes Kayla McBride, Teaira McCowan, Iliana Rupert, Megan Gustafson, Julie Allemand, Rebecca Allen, and Sevgi Uzun.

And while the timeline itself isn’t a huge concern, hopping from the 2025 WNBA season to Unrivaled, then a EuroLeague championship run, and right back into the WNBA does put Breanna Stewart at some risk for injury.