Ex-UConn star Breanna Stewart narrows free agency choices

“Seattle currently can pay Stewie more (than New York), unless you do the sign-and-trade. But the money, like the margin is like 20 or 30 thousand dollars, so it’s not millions. And so right out the gate, money’s not a player. Why? Because Stewie goes overseas, because Stewie has marketing deals that are paying her far more than her WNBA salary,” Bird recently said on the Ringers’ NBA Show podcast.

If she were to stay in Western Conference, Stewart would be going head-to-head against the 2022 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces. And the Aces will only look stronger after agreeing to terms with two-time WNBA champion and seven-time WNBA All-Star Candace Parker. 

With A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and now Parker, the Aces have formed a super team.

The Liberty recently made a deal with the Connecticut Sun for their star player, Jonquel Jones. She will be joining Sabrina Ionescu, the first overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.

Media reports also indicate Stewart has shared conversations with free agent point guard Courtney Vandersloot in hopes of signing with the same team. Vandersloot has played for the Chicago Sky since the franchise drafted her with the third overall pick in 2011.

But now that Parker has left Chicago, Vandersloot could also leave — possibly to New York. Vandersloot, a Gonzaga product, is a Washington state native who could be interested in replacing Bird in Seattle..

If Stewart and Vandersloot join Jones and Ionescu in New York, they will form a team capable of challenging the Aces for the title.

“New York is New York. She’s from Syracuse, which obviously is not New York City, but it makes difference, it’s closer,” Bird said on the Ringer podcast. “Her wife is from Spain, it’s closer. Like, she has a family now. Your priorities and what you need from a team start to shift and change because money is not the only thing at play.”

Stewart has not publicly pronounced her decision, but Bird said one thing is certain.

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