Recruiting season is at all times a superb time. It’s your time to spotlight your greatest attributes, make new connections, and lay down the inspiration for the long run. For those who play your playing cards proper, you may stroll away from recruiting season stronger and higher than ever.

The New York Liberty is doing simply that.

Breanna Stewart, who spent her profession in Seattle however is now a free agent, is definitely the largest title on this yr’s WNBA free agent class. Her resume is impeccable as she has gained in all places she’s been. As one of many sport’s largest and brightest stars, she boosts her group’s championship odds as quickly as she steps on the court docket.

Presently, Stewart is taking part in with Fenerbahce in Istanbul, Turkey, a part of the ladies’s Euroleague competitors. So, if you wish to discuss along with her, you’ve obtained to move to Istanbul.

Luis Vallejo of NBA Spain and Gigantes Basket was on the scene of Fenerbahce’s win towards Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Wednesday. Per the field rating, Stewie didn’t have essentially the most dominant of video games, however did wind up with 14 factors, ten rebounds, 4 assists, two steals, and two blocks in 29 minutes. The massive information, at the very least for Liberty followers, was that there have been some particular company available for the sport:

It’s been a reasonably busy week for Clara Wu Tsai. She was along with her different group, the Brooklyn Nets, on the final legs of their West Coast street journey, celebrating their massive win over Golden State final Sunday, then making her option to Europe with the remainder of the Liberty contingent to Istanbul.

It’s useful to suppose again to the introductory press convention of the latest Liberty star, Jonquel Jones. Basic Supervisor, Jonathan Kolb, was requested about his group’s technique this offseason and stated:

“We’re gonna be actually aggressive. I feel we’re hellbent on bringing a championship. It’s what we stated from 2019 and we’re gonna say it each single yr. I feel we’ve confirmed that we’re keen to be aggressive and we’ll proceed to try this. We’re very excited on the alternative so as to add expertise and we’ll see how this performs out over the subsequent few weeks.”

The Liberty met with Stewart in 2022 earlier than she finally determined to return to the Seattle Storm. As a way to make Stew York occur, the Liberty must cope with some fierce competitors. Along with the New York contingent, the Storm, Washington Mystics, and Minnesota Lynx have representatives that may meet with Stewart as properly. She will signal a brand new deal beginning Wednesday.

For the Liberty, signing Stewart can be a Clear Sweep of epic proportions. Pairing Stewart to a core that features Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, Han Xu, and Marine Johannes would push them into the highest tier of the league and permit them to construct much more off of a promising 2022. Even when they land Stewart, they might not cease there.

The group can be within the largest free agent level guard in the marketplace. They’ve expressed curiosity in Chicago Sky guard, Courtney Vandersloot, and have been set to fulfill along with her final weekend in New York.

The league is stuffed with nice guards and touchdown a vet like Vandersloot can be one other NY house run.

Flight membership

There’s a captivating subplot intertwined within the Stewart free company sweepstakes. For years, WNBA gamers have needed to fly constitution as they journey from metropolis to metropolis. It’s had a direct impression on the gamers on the court docket and within the race for the playoffs. This situation is one the Liberty franchise is all too accustomed to.

After a barn burner of a win towards the Aces in Vegas, the Liberty needed to journey by bus to play the Phoenix Mercury the very subsequent night time. They obtained in at 4 a.m., have been fatigued early, and wound up shedding an in depth one to a fellow playoff contender. That was sufficient for the Tsais. They quietly, secretly — your selection — put their gamers on charters and even organized for a weekend off at a toney Napa Valley retreat.

As soon as the information obtained out, the WNBA outdated guard was outraged. The franchise was fined $500,000 and even threatened with franchise termination . WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated on the time that the league was making an attempt to come back to an settlement with airline corporations. To this point, nothing has come to fruition.

Stars like Liz Cambage, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Stewart have banged the drum on this situation for years and Stewie took to Twitter just lately to suggest an answer:

Stewart obtained reward throughout the board and it’s introduced this situation again to the forefront. Lately, NBA gamers have begun to talk out extra in solidarity with their friends within the WNBA. NBPA VP and Nets star, Kyrie Irving, has labored in solidarity and help of his W friends up to now and obtained requested about this case just a few days in the past. Right here’s what he stated:

“As one of many Vice Presidents within the NBPA, we’ve mentioned a spread of these items, and I want it was as straightforward as getting it tomorrow, however enterprise takes a bit little bit of endurance, and our W girls have been affected person lengthy sufficient. We’ve positively gotta get one thing carried out, and I’m with them irrespective of how a lot it prices. I feel we may all collectively come collectively and make one thing very doable occur, and we simply wish to have our girls have peace of thoughts whereas they’re taking part in.”

“[WNBA players] don’t have to be abroad on a regular basis. They have to be right here taking part in in entrance of their households each single day doing what we do. So I feel it’s a lesson discovered proper now of how we are able to assault this as a household as a result of the W and the NBA, we’re a household. And I feel issues shall be discovered earlier than the season will get began. I’m very optimistic about that.”

Complicating issues even additional, Brittney Griner shall be flying constitution this season out of safety issues following her launch from a Russian jail camp. Will her Phoenix Mercury teammates be a part of her on the constitution or will they be compelled to proceed to fly industrial?

The problem has continued to achieve mainstream protection and isn’t going away. With the league seeking to develop much more, they’ve to make sure situations are appropriate for this technology of superstars to play to the easiest of their skills. If the group homeowners get this situation proper as soon as and for all, it’ll make life simpler for everybody and take away one main trouble for gamers to cope with. And with one of many sport’s largest stars urgent the problem, is perhaps simply sufficient to push it excessive … and get Stewart to New York.