Breanna Stewart Signs Turkey Deal With WNBA in Limbo

Breanna Stewart will be playing in the EuroLeague in April—less than a month before the supposed start of the 2026 WNBA season.

The two-time WNBA MVP signed a deal to return to Turkish team Fenerbahçe for the EuroLeague Women Final Six in April, the club announced Monday. Stewart played for Fenerbahçe in the 2022–23 season, which was the last time she played abroad.

Stewart will reunite with 2025 New York Liberty teammate Emma Meesseman, and several other players who played in the WNBA last season including Gabby Williams, Iliana Rupert, Sevgi Uzun, and Julie Allemand. Minnesota Lynx star Kayla McBride was also with Fenerbahçe when she injured her right quad in January.

Stewart is currently playing for The Mist at Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league she co-founded. The Unrivaled season ends March 4. Fenerbahçe said in its statement that Stewart, 31, will join the club in time for the EuroLeague Women Final Six, which runs from April 15–19. 

Her move puts a spotlight on the WNBA’s prioritization rule, which requires players to report to WNBA training camps on time regardless of their international obligations. Under the current version of the rule, Stewart would not be penalized. Training camps are set to open April 19; players are required to report by May 1 to avoid punishment. But the rule is subject to collective bargaining and would need to be worked out as part of the current labor negotiations. Additionally, Stewart—like nearly every WNBA veteran—will be a free agent when the CBA is finally completed.

Stewart is a WNBPA vice president. Sources have previously told FOS that the league and union need to reach a CBA in the coming days in order to start the season on time.

If the WNBA and its union ratify a new CBA, the league will still need significant lead time to accommodate free agency, an expansion draft, and the rookie draft before the start of the season. The WNBA season is set to tip-off May 8, which is in 81 days.

Stewart told FOS last month that she was “just starting to see” a resolution between the WNBA and players’ union on a new CBA.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged the WNBA CBA negotiations Saturday during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. 

“What I would love to do is put pressure on everyone,” Silver said at his annual news conference. “Often, things tend to get done at the 11th hour. We’re getting awfully close to the 11th hour when it comes to bargaining.” 

Silver said he hasn’t been at the negotiating table, but he’s “encouraged” by the dialogue in recent weeks. The NBA owns about 42% of the WNBA, and NBA owners have significant stakes in the other 58%. Engelbert reports to Silver.