There is a WNBA player currently averaging these numbers, and is simultaneously nowhere near the MVP conversation: 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.
That player is Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, who despite having an amazing year (again), is still very much absent from conversations about the leagues highest echelon. Why?
It's not like those inside of the league/those that cover it think she's average—far from it. In fact, most player rankings have Stewart in their top 5, and most MVP ladders have her on the outside of the MVP bubble.
That's just where the problem lies, though. She's observing the seats at the table, when there should be one seat with her name in gold on it.
She's the best, not just great
Halfway through the season, ESPN released a list of their top 50 WNBA players, and like all player rankings lists, it got backlash x100. The one thing people seemed to key in on was, indeed, Stewart's ranking at #5.
"Is there really a world where there's four players better than Breanna Stewart?" many fans of the Liberty and W alike said.
Now, it sounds like a lot of complaining—Stewart is still ranked higher than most of the league. That in itself should be an honor. However, looking at the four players above her, it's hard not to understand their concerns. The #1 spot belongs to A'ja Wilson, which a quick look at her 26/9/3 on 53/44/84 splits (among other things, such as her defensive impact) instantly justifies that—no real arguments there.
It's the next three—Kelsey Plum (#2), Caitlin Clark (#3) and Paige Bueckers (#4)—that people start to get puzzled on.
Plum has obviously gotten hurt since that list came out, but in her 12 games played she averaged 23/2/6, very comparable to the 21/8/3 Stewart averages. The real separation comes defensively—Stewart is 7th in blocks and 8th in defensive win shares and anchors a defense that ranks top-five in PPG allowed and top half in DRTG. Plum cannot put herself in any of those categories.
That'll be a theme, too—Stewart will get slightly outperformed offensively by her peers, but more than makes up for it defensively.
Clark and Stewart are extremely comparable offensively: Breanna's 21/8/3 to Caitlin's 21/3/7 is nearly indistinguishable. However, much like Plum, Clark pales in comparison defensively.
It's the same song and dance with Bueckers, too. To really hammer this point home, lets take a new-aged stat and compare the four all together—RAPM (Regularized Advanced Plus-Minus),
Here's the offensive RAPM for all four:
- Plum: +3.4 (100th percentile)
- Stewart: +1.8 (98th percentile)
- Bueckers: +1.6 (96th percentile)
- Clark: +1.3 (90th percentile)
And here's the defensive RAPM for all four:
- Stewart: +1.2 (98th percentile)
- Clark: -0.2 (48th percentile)
- Plum: -0.3 (28th percentile)
- Bueckers: -0.8 (18th percentile)
To put it simply, Stewart is rivaled by few on both ends of the ball. In fact, her combined RAPM output is the absolute top of the WNBA at +3.1.
Her offensive output is in the top 0.001% percent, as is her defensive output. Yet, she's seen the 5th best player and a MVP honorable mention—no more.
To most, being the 5th best anything is an honor and blessing. To Breanna Stewart, that is blasphemous at best, and the numbers back that up.
Unfortunately, this isn't new, and it might actually be worse now
2026 Breanna Stewart is putting up numbers that say she should be right in the thick of the MVP conversation and certainly higher than 5th on a power rankings list.
However (although not to this extent), Stewart has been here before. Lets take four steps back.
In 2022, Breanna Stewart averaged 21.8/8.8/3.3 on shooting splits of 47.2/37.9/83.7. She was first in Offensive Win Shares, Total Win Shares, PER, and a measly 2nd in Defensive Win Shares.
Even ESPN couldn't deny it then—Breanna Stewart was the best player in women's basketball that year. They said as much at the halfway point of the season.
Still, Stewart was denied an MVP award that seemed to be rightfully hers by every metric. No disrespect to A'ja Wilson, of course, who ended up with that '22 MVP. It's just that Stewart had her beat in every metric listed earlier except rebounds and field-goal percentage.
Four years later, and it seems Stewart is being slighted to a even bigger degree. Now, she's seen as unworthy of even the runner-up spot, despite being the most impactful player in the league statistically. She has the winning pedigree, ability and now plays in a market (New York) that should enable her to be put consistently amongst the best until proven otherwise.
What exactly does Breanna Stewart, a generational basketball player, have to do to get the appropriate generational praise and labels she rightfully deserves?
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