Breanna Stewart took home yet another major title for the New York Liberty.
In a year where the unexpected frequently befell the New York Liberty — and an offseason that promises more of the same for the Brooklynites and their 14 sisters on the league ledgers — the latest honor for Breanna Stewart brought about a sense of normalcy.
Stewart was one of 10 women named to the WNBA’s All-Defensive Teams this week, earning a second team invite alongside former Seattle Storm teammate Ezi Magbegor as well as Aliyah Boston (Indiana), Veronica Burton (Golden State), and Rhyne Howard (Atlanta).
Stewart earns her seventh invite to the All-Defensive Team, as well as her sixth in a row. She becomes the first New Yorker to land three invites to the All-Defensive Team, as Tina Charles was the only other to get the nod twice.
Among players that averaged at least 25 minutes a game, Stewart ranked seventh in defensive rating (96.8), fifth in blocks (1.4), and fourth in defensive win shares (0.172). Stewart’s impact was perhaps most noticeable in absentia.
Prior to Stewart enduring a bone bruise on her knee in a July 26 loss to Los Angeles, the Liberty stood in third place in defensive rating at 98.1. The team plummeted to ninth in the same category (107.0) during his near month-long absence, partly contributing to its fall to fifth on the WNBA playoff bracket.
