Breanna Stewart isn’t used to being away from the basketball court. The four-time NCAA champion, two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA MVP, and two-time Olympic gold medalist spends most of her winters in Russia, where she won a Euroleague ring in 2021. Stewart’s 2021 WNBA season was cut short due to surgery to heal her left Achilles tendon, and the rising star was forced to sit on the bench while her Seattle Storm made a playoff push.
Stewart stayed in the United States to rehab after losing to Seattle in the second round. With so much free time and no way to get on the court, Stewart turned virtual, working with NBA 2K and American Express on an intriguing event this weekend at Staples Center, which will feature Stewart against Clippers star Paul George in NBA 2K22.
Stewart spoke with Dime this week about the incident, her recuperation, and her plans for the WNBA season in 2022.
We’re still in the early phases of the W’s integration into NBA 2K, so I’m wondering about how you became involved with The American Express x NBA Experience and what it’s been like for you personally to get more involved as an ambassador for the game and the W’s role in it.
Being a part of the American Express/NBA 2K22 experience excites me not only as a 2K player, but also as someone who enjoys being a part of the experience and appreciates the pop-up and the opportunity to play against Paul.
The WNBA hasn’t been in 2K for that long, but as I was preparing for this weekend and playing against Paul on Twitch, it made me think of all the times that people on social media would (tell me), “Oh I just dropped 50 with you on 2K or I played with you on 2K,” and things like that, so really connecting the WNBA to video games and esports has helped our platform continue to gain eyes and traction. As a result, it’s great to be a part of this event.
Zooming out a bit, hearing “surgery” and “Achilles” in the same sentence always sounds scary, and I know there was a “minor” thrown in there as well, but especially with someone like you who has a history with that injury, where are you right now in your recovery from that procedure, and what was it like to have your season be so affected by that injury again?
To be honest, coping with a comparable injury at the conclusion of the season was quite difficult for me. The most difficult part for me was, as you mentioned, having Achilles and injury in the same phrase, and it was on my other side, which had never had surgery.
I was thinking about a number of things. I didn’t want to have my Achilles tendon rupture. I was adamant about not going to rehab. I didn’t want to go through anything at all. That, however, was not an option for me.
So, just to be a little bit ahead of the game, I underwent the preventative surgery to make sure everything was in order. I have the opportunity. I will not be traveling abroad at this time. It was the best decision I could have made. And I just finished rehab this morning, and I’m now walking in two shoes, which makes me extremely happy. There will be no more booting. There will be no more crutches. Returning to some semblance of normalcy.
The Storm will play their first game at Climate Pledge Arena in the WNBA season next year. Have you seen the arena yet, and what does an upgrade to a larger, better facility mean to you?
I’m really excited to be a part of Climate Pledge. I haven’t watched it yet, to be honest. Only on social media have I seen the photos and videos. And I was still on crutches when the [NHL’s Seattle] Kraken inaugurated the arena, so getting around was a pain in the neck. So I wasn’t feeling it, but I’m sure whenever I come back to Seattle, I’ll make sure to get the full experience.
But, you know, it’ll be wonderful to be back in Seattle playing, and it’ll be nice to be back in Seattle center. Obviously, the majority of our supporters are in Seattle. And that’s where we live and where we play. It’s no longer Key. It’s the Climate Pledge, but it’ll be fantastic. It’ll be fantastic for those who haven’t played in that arena or in Seattle previously.
Watching the announcements for Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd’s NIL deals over the last two weeks, I couldn’t help but think of you. How do you think your college career will be different if you have that opportunity to establish a brand, make money, and get your name out there in that way if you’re able to put yourself in that space?
First and foremost, I’m thrilled that NCAA players will be able to take advantage of the NIL. It’s been a long time coming, and you can’t help but think about, you know, me and the other athletes that made an impression in college, and what might have occurred if they had stayed in school.
But I think the biggest thing was it would have … I would have been able to really take advantage of my brand (from) the moment that I stepped on campus at Storrs and had that start then, instead of four years later. But this is the way things work. And to be able to kind of have a path to make a sacrifice to help the next generation, that’s perfect for me.
