SEATTLE — Three years later, Breanna Stewart received the welcome-back treatment she deserved.
Before Thursday’s game between the Liberty and Storm, the in-arena announcer called for everyone’s attention to the jumbo video boards hanging at Climate Pledge Arena.
The black screens showed a message: “Three years ago, we missed… and we wanted to get it right.”
Then began a wonderful video montage paying tribute to Stewart, who won two WNBA titles in Seattle.
Stewart, who isn’t playing in Thursday’s game due to rest, watched the video from the sideline with a smile and her eyes welling with tears.
This was Stewart’s first trip to Seattle since she left the franchise for New York ahead of the 2023 season.
In previous visits, the Storm never officially recognized Stewart as is customary when players move on to different teams.
Stewart told The Post last summer that she always has mixed feelings about returning to Seattle.
She arrived in the Emerald City as a 21-year-old and the first pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft. Stewart immediately became one of the team’s best players.
Stewart was named Rookie of the Year that season, league MVP two years later and helped the Storm win two WNBA titles in three years.
And yet, the Storm never put together a video of her accomplishments to broadcast on the jumbotron. They never took the time to recognize her in any of her returns, but they recognized other former players, including Aces guard Jewell Loyd, when they came back.
Stewart said it “hurt” to not be recognized by the franchise she gave a lot to.
“I think that when I first came back here, it was definitely emotional for me and just not being appreciated in front of those fans, that hurt,” Stewart said. “But that’s not my decision. And I continue to kind of be my best and go with my head held high and everything and if that’s what the organization wanted to do, then that’s on them.”
The Storm made it right Thursday, and all appears forgiven.
