Perhaps the best all-around women’s basketball player, Breanna Stewart, continues to etch her name through the history books of the WNBA. For Stewart, numerous championships and MVP triumphs concluded with her most impressive first-place wins with the USA team in global competitions. It’s not just her ability and potential to acquire almost any role on the court but also the course of great leadership that drove her team to victory. However, when it comes to Breanna Stewart, it is more than just what meets the eye. Besides her on-court excellence, she is of much greater stature in her personal life as well.
This piece will explore 10 little-known facts about the life of Breanna Stewart beyond her basketball career, tracing her personal life, early years, and lasting legacy.
10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Breanna Stewart
#1 Breanna Changed Her Last Name in Honor of Her Mother
Breanna Mackenzie Baldwin changed her last name to Stewart to honor the memory of her mother, Heather Baldwin-Stewart. The experience of raising this girl single-handedly taught her mother the values of trust and character, hence her primary source of encouragement. That’s why Breanna put in much work for Heather in trying to have the many chances she requires to move toward her basketball dreams. And what can be better than just naming everything you have achieved after the name of someone whose impact was the most during that journey?
Breanna Stewart did the same and adopted the surname Stewart to her name in the league. This little change, as significant as it is, has portrayed the personal meaning of family in the life of Breanna Stewart and just how her mother’s influence shaped both her career and personality.
#2 She Was a Basketball Prodigy Before High School
Breanna Stewart was talented from a very young age in basketball. She began to draw attention even in her pre-high school days for her talent. She started taking structured basketball in the fifth grade, and by the time she went to middle school, she was recognized as a rising talent.
Stewart was racking up ace results by the age of 14, capturing all the attention of many high school and college recruiters. Her excellent games at that tender age revealed a tremendous future as a high school and college athlete, which eventually led her to be crowned the top player in the country upon graduation.
#3 Breanna Stewart Led UConn to Four Consecutive National Championships
As much as college success should be well attributed to Breanna Stewart, what she did at UConn was actually pretty incredible in itself. Stewart led UConn to four consecutive NCAA Championships from 2013 to 2016. Notably, she was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in each of those years—an accolade unmatched in NCAA history for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Breanna Stewart’s excellent college career set a new standard for college basketball among aspiring WNBA prospects. It not only stands as a testimony of performance excellence but also demands pure dedication from athletes to match its level in their collegiate stint.
#4 She Overcame a Torn Achilles to Win Another WNBA Title
In 2019, Breanna Stewart suffered a serious ruptured Achilles tendon tear while playing overseas for the Russian team Dynamo Kursk. She was at the peak of her career after leading the Seattle Storm to a WNBA championship in 2018, where she also earned the Finals MVP award
Many were worried that the injury would keep her off the court for months, perhaps even shattering some of the skills she put so much time perfecting. However, Stewart’s comeback was very good. She returned to lead the Storm to their next WNBA title in 2020. Her comeback surely shows off the strength, dedication, and perseverance this young woman has in store.
#5 Breanna Stewart Was a Star Volleyball Player in High School
Even though basketball is certainly Stewart’s passion, she was not a narrow athletic talent limited strictly to the basketball court. During her high school years, Stewart was an excellent volleyball player. On the volleyball field, one can see her supremacy due to her tall stature, quick movements, and strong athletic abilities while playing in the position of a middle hitter.
Although she turned professional in basketball, her success in volleyball proves that she is an all-around athlete. Most of the skills acquired playing volleyball, such as coordination and agility, have most likely carried over to aid her in her basketball career.
#6 She’s an Advocate for Equal Pay in the WNBA
It’s not just on the court that Breanna Stewart is so vocal about. She has also been an avid advocate of the remuneration gap in comparison to the WNBA, along with suitable working conditions in the league. For a long time, she has been striving to pay attention to the wage gaps between the WNBA and the NBA. Ultimately, her purpose is to maintain a healthy atmosphere with better pay, improved travel facilities, and perks for the WNBA players.
For example, Stewart played a critical role in the historic 2020 WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, which brought players notable raises in pay, much better maternity benefits, and improved travel accommodations for players. Her guidance and involvement have been crucial to opening the door for a new era of advancement and fairness in women’s athletics.
#7 Breanna Stewart is a Four-Time EuroLeague Champion
Along with a WNBA dominance, Stewart has really been in top form playing pro basketball in other parts of the world. She won numerous championships with different teams across the EuroLeague, most notably in Russia with UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Breanna Stewart’s Four EuroLeague titles speak for themselves how much impact she can have on the sport. Many WNBA players go on international expeditions while playing across different leagues in the WNBA offseason. However, Breanna Stewart is also taking the hearts of the audience. It proves her on-court mettle and ability to perform in any condition.
#8 She is a Survivor of Sexual Abuse
The toughness of mind that we witness from Breanna Stewart on the court is not just training; it has been the experiences that made her what she is today, and they also include some bad ones. The New York Liberty forward came clean about horrifying childhood trauma in 2017, confessing about her childhood sexual abuse. As per Stewart’s explanation in The Players’ Tribune, a family member of hers added such trauma to her life when she was 9 to 11 years of age.
Stewart shared her story with the public, hoping it would help raise awareness of sexual abuse and encourage other victims to share their stories. The openness of one’s hard times with people earned Stewart admiration and has helped her comfort abused people.
#9 Breanna Stewart Was the No. 1 Pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft
It was no surprise that after her fine collegiate career at UConn, Stewart was taken as the number one pick of the Seattle Storm in the WNBA draft 2016. Since that time in the league, Stewart has lived up to the high expectations she had for herself.
The wonders of this gifted player were soon marked as she became a winner and won the award of Rookie of the Year in 2016, turning into one of the best players in the league overnight. Stewart soon turned into a star and has enhanced her legacy since then.
#10 She is a New Mom
Breanna Stewart’s family got a new member two years ago who continues to inspire the WNBA star to perform better. A year after she announced that she was having a child(in 2021) with former Spanish basketball player Marta Xargay Casademont, Breanna Stewart’s wife finally let out the news that she had given birth to a daughter through surrogacy. Her name is Ruby Mae Stewart Xargay.
For Stewart, motherhood has come in the same energy and dedication the game of basketball she executes so wonderfully with great passion and efficacy. So far, Stewart has done a wonderful job of balancing her family needs with her booming career, and the birth of her child will definitely not make her relax and end her active pursuit of equality and a better future for all future athletes as well as for her child.
Conclusion
Fantastic achievements and inspiring personal stories have filled out Breanna Stewart’s exciting career. While Stewart is most prominently a basketball star, with a resume of credentials that includes leading UConn to numerous championships and effortlessly playing in the WNBA, some very important parts of her story should not be overlooked. It’s not just her ability to overcome any hurdle on the court that makes her a powerful athlete. It is also Breanna Stewart’s support for equal pay and commitment to strive for better that appeals to the masses.
These ten facts that give the fans insight into Breanna Stewart’s personal life make her more than an athlete, highlighting her persona. It briefly explores the thrilling ride of Breanna Stewart’s rollercoaster life that made her not only an excellent athlete but also the one to raise her voice for a better cause. The equal pay rights campaign from her side, along with mental toughness and survival through her life, speak much of her impact on the lives and games of her fans.