There are many WNBA news cycles – but not so many human years! — that the league’s central power struggle was looming between A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Since Wilson was drafted in 2018, the two stars have lived atop the MVP ballots and won six of eight WNBA championships together. On this same site, in 2022, I have anointed them as much:
Stewart and Wilson, stalwarts of the Olympic team and new faces of their sport, should lead this league for a while. “Should” is an important qualifier. It wasn’t long ago that WNBA fans were imagining future epic playoff battles between Stewart and Elena Delle Donne, battles that had to remain in the imagination thanks to an Achilles injury, a back injury and a pandemic. But if everyone’s health permits, this is The Rivalry We Care About Now, and it’s extremely impressive to watch.
On Sunday, the two would-be rivals were miles apart and their matches started within hours of each other. Stewart’s 34 points and 12 rebounds lifted the Liberty to a 91-75 upset victory over the top-seeded Lynx in Minnesota. Much like in past regular seasons and playoffs, the Lynx had few troubling answers regarding opposing size; The Liberty may be the most annoying team to watch in the WNBA, but perhaps more importantly, they’re also the greatest. Stewart, so uncompromising, lanky and lanky, almost personally amplifies Minnesota’s flaws. She attacks shifts and hits shots – on Saturday she even provided a few step-back shots for extra style points. Strong play from Leonie Fiebich and Han Xu was enough help; Stewart doesn’t need much. (Never mind that his team’s main guard continues to film spring tour dates.)
In Vegas later that day, Wilson starred with the Indiana Fever to the tune of 38 points and 16 rebounds in a 102-85 victory. Opponents are rarely happy at the end of a match against A’ja Wilson, but in this one, she showed her full demoralization package: she missed only four of her 19 shots and made sure the Fever couldn’t get anything at the rim. The idea of an upset Indiana in this series, made plausible by some of the teams’ recent meetings, was just one more thing she dismissed.
Styles struggled in Sunday’s matches, and the open feel of these playoffs meant they began with a lot of unanswered questions. However, at the end of a four-game series, I wasn’t sure I had learned anything new. The WNBA is a better, healthier league for all of its young stars, and its tilt toward guard play only makes the product more exciting. This throat clearing is now over: 2022 remains true. Stewie and A’ja still run this shit! On Sunday, they each provided a stark reminder that for all the fun Olivia Miles and Caitlin Clark can bring, it’s the big guys who swim most comfortably in the deep waters of the WNBA playoffs. You won’t find two with more skill than Stewart and Wilson, and they also have bi-directional motors unlike any I’ve ever seen. This game is theirs for as long as they want it.
The “rivalry” as imagined never really materialized. Stewart’s GOAT case gave way to Wilson’s more quickly than expected, and the last two Stewart vs. Wilson playoff series turned out to be duds. The two also seem, frankly, a little too balanced and too focused to anchor a rivalry. As Wilson told Holly Rowe during the post-match interview on Sunday: “It’s my job, Holly. It’s what I do!”
Gn sports
