Breanna Stewart gets long overdue video tribute from Storm: We wanted to get it right

SEATTLE — Three years later, Breanna Stewart received the welcome-back treatment she deserved. Before Thursday’s game between the Liberty and Storm, the in-arena announcer called for everyone’s attention to the jumbo video boards hanging at Climate Pledge Arena.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.

The black screens showed a message: “Three years ago, we missed… and we wanted to get it right.” Then began a wonderful video montage paying tribute to Stewart, who won two WNBA titles in Seattle.Stewart, who isn’t playing in Thursday’s game due to rest, watched the video from the sideline with a smile and her eyes welling with tears. This was Stewart’s first trip to Seattle since she left the franchise for New York ahead of the 2023 season.In previous visits, the Storm never officially recognized Stewart as is customary when players move on to different teams. Stewart told The Post last summer that she always has mixed feelings about returning to Seattle. She arrived in the Emerald City as a 21-year-old and the first pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft.

Stewart immediately became one of the team’s best players. Stewart was named Rookie of the Year that season, league MVP two years later and helped the Storm win two WNBA titles in three years. And yet, the Storm never put together a video of her accomplishments to broadcast on the jumbotron.They never took the time to recognize her in any of her returns, but they recognized other former players, including Aces guard Jewell Loyd, when they came back.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Stewart said it “hurt” to not be recognized by the franchise she gave ...