Seattle says a hard goodbye to Stewie

Breanna Stewart, one of the most celebrated players in the WNBA, and Stephanie Talbot announced Wednesday they are both leaving the Storm.

It was just the type of social media post Seattle Storm fans had braced themselves for.

After seven seasons with the Storm, Breanna Stewart (aka Stewie) took to social media to post her decision to join the Liberty for the 2023 season. It's on brand for how she's communicated with fans throughout the off-season, posting cryptic all-emoji tweets that left breadcrumbs of information about whether she'd re-sign with the Storm.

Stewart has built her career playing for Seattle's WNBA team.

She was the number one draft pick the year the Storm signed her, she went onto win league MVP, and has won two WNBA championships with the Storm in her five years with the team.

Leaving another hole in the already-fractured Storm roster is Stephanie Talbot, a sharp-shooting forward who was first to come off the bench most games.

Talbot, hailing from Australia, is signing a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Sparks.

"I loved their vision for both myself and the team," Talbot said in announcing her plans. "I’m really looking forward to meeting my teammates and getting to work.”

So, why is Stewie leaving?

Stewart has not said publicly exactly what led her to bid farewell to Seattle, but New York is a state with big opportunities. One of them, notably, could be the opportunity to work more with Puma, which produces Stewie's signature sneaker.

As for the factors that led to her decision: She is a free agent this year, she's from New York State, her wife is from Spain (a shorter flight distance), and the Storm are currently re-stacking their roster and figuring out the future without Sue Bird.

Sports writer Eden Laase, who covers the WNBA for Just Women's Sports, said Stewie sees New York as a place she can make more of a mark.

"New York is a place with a great market, she's really interested in kind of pushing the WNBA forward as a league," Laase said.

"So I think for her it just ended up kind of being the perfect time. You know I'm sure with Sue Bird retiring, it sort of felt like the end of an era and the perfect time to move onto something else."

As for whether salary was a factor, Laase said that's unlikely. Stewart already was earning the high end of WNBA salaries with the Storm, $228,094 in 2021-22, and she gets a large part of her income from playing internationally and from her Puma shoe deal.

A seismic shift for Stewart and the Storm

Stewart already is one of the leading faces and players of the WNBA, and has the potential to leave a large legacy. In addition to her heroic abilities on the court (she has the highest points per game in 2022, averaging 21.8), she is becoming more of a voice for the league as a whole.

She tweeted every day Brittney Griner was imprisoned in Russia and was a leader in the "Free BG" movement.

Now, she is on a new mission: She is pushing teams to start offering chartered flights for the players. They fly commercial now with the public. Stewart's agent told ESPN that, "Stewie's free agency is the story of the WNBA at an inflection point: Players understand their value, the potential of the WNBA, and are eager partners in growing a business that has incredible momentum."

A Seattle Storm spokesperson, when asked for comment on Stewart, said coaches and owners are not allowed to discuss players under contract with other teams. They say they don't have a statement at this time, as the team has 9-10 roster spots to fill at this point.

The WNBA in 2023 and Jewell Loyd

There are now two "superteams" in the WNBA. That's what analysts are calling the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, all because of free agents they've snagged.

The Storm's roster is still unclear. They have new openings and salary space, and the potential to sign one or more powerful players who are also in free agency.

But there's still a gem at the core of the Storm roster — Jewell Loyd, aka Gold Mamba.

"Seattle fans can kind of take solace in the fact that you still have a really great piece to build around in Jewell Loyd," Laase said.

She's a franchise player for the Storm who Laase called "phenomenal."

"She's someone who can take your team to new heights, as well, so having her as a centerpiece is a great thing to fall back on," Laase said.

Loyd, a guard, is an elite shooter and a new rock at the center of the team.

"The Seattle Storm aren't gonna have, like, a terrible year I don't think, whatever happens," Laase said.

She said it may take a while for Seattle fans to get over the loss of Stewie, but the team is entering a new era and the question of, "What does Seattle look like as Jewell Loyd's team?"

2022 was one of the most watched WNBA seasons, and sports writers expect it to grow even more this year.

Sloot to Seattle?

Courtney Vandersloot was a wild card for the Storm's 2023 roster. But Thursday afternoon, she announced that she too is joining the New York Liberty.

Vandersloot, better known as "Sloot," is a free agent and one of the best point guards in WNBA history. The Kent, Washington native had left Seattle fans on the edge of their seats when she announced she was leaving the Chicago Sky, leading some to believe she would take the baton from Sue Bird and join the Storm.

The Seattle Storm season starts May 20 with a home game versus the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces.