WNBA Makes Historic Breanna Stewart Announcement After Liberty Game
The New York Liberty finally returned to the win column on Wednesday night with an 84-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, but the biggest storyline after the game centered around Breanna Stewart making more WNBA history.
Even in a relatively quiet scoring performance by her standards, Stewart still found a way to move past one of the most legendary names the league has ever seen. The Liberty star finished with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes as New York improved to 4-4 on the season. After the final buzzer, the WNBA officially announced that Stewart had passed Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie on the league's all-time free throws made list, with 1478. She is just two away from Tina Thompson.
The WNBA shared the milestone on social media shortly after the game, recognizing Stewart's latest historic achievement as she continues building one of the greatest careers in league history.
Stewart entered the night already among the most accomplished players the WNBA has ever seen. The former UConn superstar came into the matchup averaging 21.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game this season while continuing to serve as the centerpiece of New York's championship aspirations.
Rising through the ranks
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 28, 2026
With her 2nd FTM tonight, Breanna Stewart passed Lisa Leslie for 7th on the WNBA's all-time free throws made list!#WNBASeason30pic.twitter.com/CecYiqxjlC
Breanna Stewart Keeps Adding to Her Hall of Fame Resume
At just 31 years old, Stewart has already assembled a resume few players in basketball history can match. She was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm and quickly became one of the faces of the league.
Stewart has won multiple WNBA championships, league MVP awards and Finals MVP honors while also dominating internationally with Team USA. Her ability to impact every part of the game has consistently separated her from nearly everyone in the sport.
Passing Lisa Leslie adds another major accomplishment to that growing list.
Leslie remains one of the foundational stars in WNBA history and helped elevate the league into the mainstream during her Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Sparks. For Stewart to surpass a player of Leslie's stature further reinforces how remarkable her career trajectory has been.
Liberty Looking to Regain Early Season Momentum
The individual milestone also came during an important moment for New York. The Liberty entered Wednesday's game having lost three straight contests and facing questions about their uneven start to the 2026 season.
Stewart acknowledged earlier this week that the Liberty's 3-4 start was "not what we expected," but New York responded with a strong defensive effort against Phoenix.
While Stewart scored only 11 points, the Liberty controlled much of the second half and held the Mercury to 74 total points. New York now hopes Wednesday's victory can help spark momentum as the team attempts to climb the Eastern Conference standings.
Even amid the team's inconsistent start, Stewart continues proving why she remains one of the defining stars of the WNBA.
Every season seems to bring another milestone, another historic achievement and another reminder that her legacy is still growing.
Related: New York Liberty React to Breanna Stewart Announcement on Tuesday
Related: Liberty Star Breanna Stewart Makes Announcement Before Fever Game
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 7:12 PM.