The defending champions, the New York Liberty, fell against the Phoenix Mercury in one of the upsets in the 2025 playoffs. One of the reasons for the side’s struggle was the performance of Breanna Stewart. She had her worst shooting season and even struggled to connect in the playoff series.
While Stewart vowed to stay with the Liberty in the upcoming season, her former HC, Geno Auriemma, advised her to take shots to get back to her best shooting records. Yet he called the star one of the best things in the city, which would flourish with perfect support.
Geno Auriemma Backs Breanna Stewart To Take Hold Of Situations
College basketball is back, with coaches talking about their teams’ chances in the Big East media day. Geno Auriemma required separate interview sessions, as he had a lot to discuss regarding both his current and past UConn team members. On the media day, he reflected on New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart.
“Whenever Stewie’s playing in a big game, I expect her to play great, and that hasn’t changed one iota. And I hope they get a really good coach and I hope they put a really good team around her because I think she’s one of the great things in this city, for sure,” Auriemma said.
However, the coach with the most championships acknowledged that his superstar player struggled a bit with her shooting, as she made far fewer baskets than in her rookie season. “She’s got to make a shot once in a while. That sucker missed more jump shots this year than I saw her miss in the last seven years,” Auriemma added.
I asked UConn coach Geno Auriemma about how he thought Breanna Stewart navigated this past WNBA season:
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) October 22, 2025
“She got to make a shot once in a while. That sucker missed more jump shots this year than I saw her miss in the last seven years.”
More: https://t.co/9hzBCtlEtn
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
Auriemma and Stewart won four titles together, and he knows the player inside out. Showing trust in her, the UConn coach mentioned that it’s part of the sport and can happen to any player.
Breanna Stewart Makes AP’s All-Time WCBB First-Team
While the 31-year-old missed out on a championship in the 2025 season, her college legacy brought her into the news as she made it to the AP’s All-Time WCBB First team along with fellow UConn star Diana Taurasi. Candace Parker, Caitlin Clark, and Cheryl Miller complete the team.
While Clark humbly responded to her selection to the WCBB First Team, the UConn star was an obvious choice. She won four NCAA championships with four MOP accolades. She is also one of only two players in history, men’s or women’s, to be named AP Player of the Year three times (Ralph Sampson is the other notable exception).
With four UConn stars on the All-WCBB teams, the program has the most representatives in the historic teams.