The 2023 WNBA free agency period has had a circle around it since the new collective bargaining agreement, which included a controversial prioritization clause, was signed three years ago. Then Breanna Stewart, a two-time MVP in her prime, signed a shortened, one-year deal in 2022, her first free agency, to join a decorated group of free-agent superstars this offseason.
Her emoji-filled tweets were a fun free agency Pictionary leading into an actual word tweet and the reporting around it that added another dimension to a crucial moment for the WNBA — and makes Stewart’s free agency one of the most pivotal moments in WNBA history for more reasons than where she will sign.