Breanna Stewart is heading to Turkey to play basketball.
If that sentence has you scratching your head — even just a little — that's a pretty fair response. Stewart, who will return to Fenerbahce Opet in April for the Euroleague championships, is currently playing in Unrivaled and presumably will be playing in the WNBA's 2026 season. Of course, the latter is predicated on the idea that there will be a 2026 WNBA season at all, and some fans have begun to worry that Stewart's announcement is a sign the veteran player is jumping ship early — and that CBA negotiations are not going as well as everyone hopes.
Breanna Stewart will join Fenerbahce Opet in April
First and foremost, the timeline doesn't necessarily conflict with the WNBA's season, and Stewart isn't the only WNBA player who is set to play for Fenebahce Opet during the team's championship run. Stewart, who previously played for the same team in 2023, will play alongside her Liberty teammate Emma Meessman as well as her Team USA teammate Gabby Williams.
In addition to Stewart, Meessman, and Williams, the team also includes heavyweights Kayla McBride, Teaira McCowan, Iliana Rupert, Megan Gustafson, Julie Allemand, Rebecca Allen, and Sevgi Uzun. In other words, the WNBA is well-represented.
Fenerbahce is a favorite this season
Despite the fact that Fenerbahce lost to Praha by 20 points last season, the team is heavily favored to pull off a championship win this year — and that's likely a big reason why they pursued Stewart and brought her back to the squad. The Liberty star previously helped the team win the championship during their 2023 run.
The season was also the last one Stewart played overseas. During the 2022-23 season, she was All-EuroLeague First Team and won the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award. She averaged 21.7 points, 8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1 block over 11 EuroLeague games.
The 2026 WNBA season will begin in May
The 2026 WNBA season is currently scheduled to begin in May, which means Stewart (and the rest of the WNBA players who are playing overseas) is very likely to be back in the United States for the season — and even for training camp.
While the timing works out, Stewart's announcement has prompted some concern that she could end up at higher risk of injury. Playing in back-to-back leagues — the 2025 WNBA season, followed by Unrivaled, followed by a Euroleague championship run, and then right back into the WNBA — could open her up to getting hurt, something that could have potentially devastating consequences for the Liberty this season.