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INDIANAPOLIS ― With seconds remaining in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart gathered a rebound and intentionally tossed the ball to Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen, who was on the opposing team. Iriafen, excited to get another shot at her 4-point attempt, drained the basket and immediately celebrated.
The gesture was small, but a proverbial reflection of the work that Stewart, Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, and Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink do in partnership with Delta. As athlete ambassadors, the trio is part of a specially curated video series called “Power Forward.” The initiative, centered around storytelling, gives an inside look at each player’s basketball journey, current hurdles present in women’s sports at large and what the future looks like for the league as it continues to grow.
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“The most important part of the league’s story with Delta is just kind of showing where we started and the family behind it all,” Stewart shared with USA TODAY during All-Star weekend.
“I think about the moment where [Cameron Brink] and Nneka [Ogwumike] and I were shooting together and having these videos from our family members to our friends to high school coaches, and it’s just a journey ― the journey of our basketball careers and where we are today.”
Stewart, Ogwumike and Brink began their basketball careers at different times, but their paths have converged and now represent three eras in the WNBA: the past, present and future. Ogwumike, drafted in 2012 by Los Angeles, was already in the league and had a Rookie of the Year trophy when Stewart turned pro with Seattle in 2016. Stewart and Ogwumike had three total championships and three total MVP trophies by the time Brink became the 2024 No. 2 overall pick.
The Liberty forward is also part of the leadership staff for the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and in active CBA negotiations with the league. Stewart acknowledged the invisible thread that connects her with not only Ogwumike and Brink, but also the next generation of basketball players.
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“The W is using the momentum to make sure that whether you’ve been here long enough to understand negotiations from 2020 to negotiations now ― from where we started when I had roommates in my rookie season of the league, now flying charter with Delta, to hopefully even reaching new heights in the following seasons ― we’re constantly the ones that are using our platforms for better and striving for even more,” Stewart explained.
The hope is young players like Brink, Iriafen and many others will benefit from the efforts of the current generation, who have been fighting for their livelihood while unconsciously advocating for players they had yet to meet. Stewart says the current culture of the WNBA is bold. Players are taking risks, fighting for what they believe is right and standing firm in their beliefs, knowing that the next athlete who has yet to grace the hardwood at the pro level is depending on them.
Without flinching, she delivered a simple yet powerful message to everyone listening and watching: “Now more than ever, we know our worth and our value, and we’re not taking anything less.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Breanna Stewart, WNBA stars won’t settle for ‘less’ in negotiating CBA
