Breanna Stewart
Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Impact Statement
“You have to love your sport. Your passion & dedication can’t be some-time, part-time or spare-time. It has to be all-time.” -Breanna Stewart
Biography
The 6-foot-4 forward’s record-breaking performance helped the Northstars become the first New York State Public High Athletic Association titlist since 2001 to win the AA New York State Federation Tournament of Champions. Stewart had a triple double – 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 blocks – in the AA Public championship game, then racked up 22 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks as Cicero-North Syracuse (23-3), ranked No. 10 in the final POWERADE FAB 50, routed reigning 14-time Public Schools Athletic League champion New York Murry Bergtraum High, 60-28 in the championship game. She also had 42 points and 22 rebounds in an 80-55 semifinal victory over Brooklyn Nazareth High, hitting 15 of 20 shots from the field. Her 64 points and 38 rebounds were both tournament records, and she averaged 26.4 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists as a senior.
The University of Connecticut signee was named the girls Morgan Wootten Player of the Year by McDonald’s, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the All-USA Today Player of the Year and the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. Last summer, Stewart averaged team highs of 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while playing just 19.9 minutes as the USA won the FIBA Under-19 world championship in Puerto Montt, Chile. She was the second youngest team member. She also was the only high school player to represent her country in the Pan-American Games last fall in Guadalajara, Mexico. She also played on two other gold medal-winning teams: the Under-16 national team (FIBA Americas, 2009) and the Under-17 national team (FIBA World Championships, 2010).
At the University of Connecticut Stewart continued her dominence in the sport. She led the Huskies to four NCAA National Championships during her career. She was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player all four years. She was named the national player of the year three times as well.
After graduating, Stewart was the number one overall WNBA draft pick by the Seattle Storm in 2016. She was named Rookie of the Year her first year. She was named an to the All Star team twice. In 2018, she was part of the WNBA’s Championship team and named the WNBA’s Finals MVP. In addition, she was honored as the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2018. After rupturing her Achilles, she was sidelined in the 2019-20 season. She was named as the league’s ambassador.
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