Breanna Stewart Bio
Breanna Mackenzie Stewart, born August 27, 1994, is an American professional basketball player widely regarded as one of the most accomplished players in the history of the sport. She currently plays as a power forward for the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Mist BC of Unrivaled, a three-on-three league she co-founded in 2023. Nicknamed “Stewie,” Stewart is a versatile forward known for her scoring, rebounding, perimeter skills, and competitive drive.
Stewart was the first overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm and went on to win two championships with that franchise before signing with the New York Liberty in 2023. Off the court, she is married to former professional basketball player Marta Xargay Casademont, and the couple has two children. She is also a successful businesswoman, recognized on the Time 100 list in 2025 for her work with Unrivaled.
Early Life and Background
Stewart was born Breanna Mackenzie Baldwin in Syracuse, New York, to a single mother, Heather Baldwin. Her biological father was not involved in her life, and her mother worked multiple jobs to provide for her daughter. When Stewart was a toddler, her mother began dating Brian Stewart, who later adopted her after marrying Baldwin. She has a younger half-brother, Connor.
Stewart began playing basketball at an early age. Because of her height, her early coaches wanted her focused on rebounding near the basket, but her father encouraged her to develop ball-handling skills and perimeter shooting. She created a daily routine of dribbling a mile around her neighborhood block while wearing headphones, which sharpened her ability to handle the ball with both hands.
In a 2017 essay for The Players’ Tribune, Stewart publicly revealed that she had been a victim of sexual abuse between the ages of 9 and 11. She reported the abuse to her parents, who immediately contacted the police, and the perpetrator ultimately served prison time. The experience shaped her advocacy for survivors of abuse.
Path to Basketball
Stewart attended Cicero–North Syracuse High School, where she played for head coach Eric Smith and earned nicknames such as “Bean” and “6-10” because of her wingspan. She first suited up for the varsity team as an eighth-grader and quickly became a starter, eventually leading the Northstars to a state AA public school title as a junior with averages of 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Her success in high school attracted national attention, and she was selected as a 2012 McDonald’s All-American and the 2012 Naismith Prep Girls’ Player of the Year. She also won the 2012 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award in a presentation by Tamika Catchings. During her junior year, she announced her commitment to the University of Connecticut.
Stewart also represented the United States in international youth basketball, joining the U16 national team at just 14 years old. She won gold medals with USA Basketball at the U16, U17, U18, and U19 levels, and was named the MVP of the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship. These experiences helped her develop the perimeter skills and confidence that would later define her professional game.
Breanna Stewart Career
College Career (2012–2016)
Stewart arrived at the University of Connecticut in 2012 and immediately made an impact. As a freshman, she broke Maya Moore’s record for most points in a player’s first ten games and became the first freshman since 1987 to win the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player award, helping the Huskies win the first of four consecutive national championships.
Across her four seasons at UConn, Stewart led the Huskies to an unprecedented run of four straight NCAA titles and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player a record four times. She won the Naismith College Player of the Year three times, the Wade Trophy twice, and the John R. Wooden Award twice, while also earning the James E. Sullivan Award in 2015. She finished her college career with 2,676 points, 1,179 rebounds, and 414 blocks, the latter figure setting a UConn record.
WNBA Career (2016–Present)
Seattle Storm Era (2016–2022)
Stewart was selected first overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2016 WNBA draft and scored 23 points in her debut against the Los Angeles Sparks. She went on to average 18.3 points and 9.3 rebounds as a rookie, set a league record for most defensive rebounds in a season, and won the 2016 WNBA Rookie of the Year award in a landslide vote.
In 2018, Stewart elevated her game to superstar level, winning her first WNBA MVP award and helping the Storm to a 26–8 record and the number one seed. She then led Seattle through the playoffs and won her first WNBA championship, taking Finals MVP honors after averaging 25.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in a three-game sweep of the Washington Mystics.
Stewart missed the entire 2019 WNBA season after tearing her Achilles during the EuroLeague Women final while playing for Dynamo Kursk. She returned in 2020 to win her second WNBA title and a second Finals MVP, and she was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for her activism. She was also selected to the WNBA’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2021.
New York Liberty Era (2023–Present)
On February 1, 2023, Stewart signed with the New York Liberty in free agency. In her home debut on May 21, 2023, she scored 45 points against the Indiana Fever, setting a new franchise record for points in a single game. She went on to win her second WNBA MVP award and led the Liberty to the 2023 WNBA Finals, where they fell just short in a Game 4 loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
On October 20, 2024, Stewart and the Liberty won the franchise’s first WNBA championship, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in a five-game Finals series. The title made Stewart a three-time WNBA champion, adding to her two Seattle titles and reinforcing her place among the league’s all-time greats.
International Career
Stewart has built a decorated international career alongside her WNBA play. She won EuroLeague Women championships in 2021 with UMMC Ekaterinburg and in 2023 with Fenerbahçe SK, where she also won the Turkish Super League title. She was named EuroLeague Women Regular Season MVP in 2019 and Final Four MVP in both 2021 and 2023, and she previously played in the Chinese league with Shanghai Baoshan Dahua.
On the global stage, Stewart has represented the United States at three consecutive Olympic Games, winning gold in 2016, 2020, and 2024. She was named MVP of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic tournament and earned spots on the FIBA All-Star Five team in both 2020 and 2024. She also won FIBA World Cup gold medals in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Unrivaled and Business Interests
In July 2023, Stewart and fellow WNBA star Napheesa Collier announced the founding of Unrivaled, a professional three-on-three women’s basketball league designed to give WNBA players a domestic option during the offseason. The league’s inaugural season tipped off in January 2025 in Miami, Florida, and Stewart plays for Mist BC, scoring the first basket in league history.
Stewart has signed major endorsement deals with Nike, Puma, and Ally Financial. In 2022, she released Puma’s first female signature basketball shoe in over a decade, called the Stewie 1 Quiet Fire. Her work with Unrivaled earned her a place on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2025.
Breanna Stewart Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Stewart’s family background is rooted in Syracuse, New York, where she was raised by her mother, Heather Baldwin, and her adoptive father, Brian Stewart, who married Baldwin when Breanna was a toddler. She has a younger half-brother, Connor. Brian Stewart played a key role in her basketball development, encouraging her to work on perimeter skills at a young age.
Personal Life
Stewart is married to former WNBA and EuroLeague player Marta Xargay Casademont. The couple began dating while teammates at Dynamo Kursk, became engaged in May 2021, and married on July 6, 2021. About 48 hours after Stewart won Olympic gold in Tokyo in August 2021, their first child, Ruby Mae Stewart-Xargay, was born via surrogacy. Their second child, Theo Josep Stewart Xargay, was born in October 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Stewart continues to anchor the New York Liberty in 2025 as the reigning WNBA champion. Coming off a Finals MVP performance in 2024, she has remained a central figure in the Liberty’s pursuit of a back-to-back title, with the team once again positioned among the league’s championship contenders.
She was also a key participant in the inaugural 2025 season of Unrivaled, playing for Mist BC and helping establish the new league as a viable offseason destination for WNBA stars. Her visibility during the 2025 Unrivaled season contributed to her selection on the Time 100 list that same year.
With multiple WNBA MVP awards, three championships, three Olympic gold medals, and two EuroLeague titles already on her résumé, Stewart continues to add to her legacy in 2025 as one of the most decorated and influential players in women’s basketball history.