Stewart's seventh first-team honor bridges two generations of All-WNBA talent

Breanna Stewart is an All-WNBA first-team selection for the seventh time. That sentence describes sustained excellence. The company she keeps on the 2026 team describes a league still changing around it.

The WNBA's first team, announced Saturday, includes Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and rookie Olivia Miles. Wilson earned her sixth first-team honor, while Clark and Mitchell each earned their second, according to ESPN's awards report. Miles, Minnesota's Rookie of the Year, is the newcomer.

This is not a clean handoff from one generation to the next. Stewart and Wilson remain among the league's defining players while newer stars earn places beside them. Miles reaching this level in her first season is significant precisely because the established standard has not disappeared.

A New York benchmark

The Liberty's news release puts Stewart's selection in local perspective: her third first-team honor with New York matches Tina Charles for the most in franchise history. Her seven career first-team selections are tied for third-most in league history. She now has eight All-WNBA selections overall, a separate count that includes second-team recognition.

Stewart averaged 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 42 games, according to the club. Her 875 points were her largest season total since her 2023 MVP campaign. The distinction between a total and an average matters, but both measures support the same narrower conclusion: this honor follows substantial production, not reputation alone.

Recognition across the league

The second team consists of Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, Shakira Austin, Jackie Young and Paige Bueckers, ESPN reported. For a regional audience, Stewart and fellow former UConn star Bueckers provide two familiar connections to a national list. Those connections should not obscure the breadth of the recognition.

Individual honors and the championship answer different questions. Atlanta and Golden State are still contesting the Finals, now tied 2-2 after the Valkyries' Saturday victory. The All-WNBA announcement recognizes a season's work. Stewart's place on it is another measure of how long she has maintained an unusually high standard.