Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty is off to a fantastic start for the 2026 WNBA season. New York is coming off a 100-82 win over the Portland Fire on Thursday, a game in which Stewart had a game-high 22 points. Jonquel Jones led with nine rebounds, and Marine Johannes had a game-high 11 assists.
The Liberty are 3-1 and tied for No. 1 in the Eastern Conference with the Chicago Sky, due in large part to the play of Stewart. The 6-foot-4 forward has been almost automatic from the free throw line, shooting 93.3% (28-for-30). The Cicero-North Syracuse High School graduate is currently sixth in the league in rebounding (9.0 per game), seventh in scoring (23.0), and tied for third in blocks per game (2.0).
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New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) © John Jones-Imagn Images
Stewart has been acknowledged by the WNBA for her play, as she was announced Tuesday as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces won the award for the Western Conference. This is the first Player of the Week Award of the WNBA’s historic 30th-season celebration. The award covers games played from May 8 to May 17. This marks the 19th time the two-time WNBA MVP has won the award in her career.
That same day, the Liberty went to social media to react to the honor bestowed upon their star forward. On X, New York posted a graphic showing Stewart, her counting stats and the Liberty’s record.
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“Stewie wasted no time making her mark 💪,” New York wrote on X. “@breannastewart is our @WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week! 🔥”
New York returns from its three-game road trip to face the Golden State Valkyries at Barclays Center at on Thursday 8 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
