Run it back: Liberty sign 'Big 3' to long-term deals

The New York Liberty announced Friday that forward Breanna Stewart, center Jonquel Jones and guard Sabrina Ionescu all have signed multi-year deals to return to the team.

On her podcast, Stewart said she has a three-year standard max contract - which is $1.19 million this season -- where she'll be getting 17% of the cap each year. Sources told ESPN's Alexa Philippou that Ionescu's contract is identical to Stewart's deal. The details of Jones' contract are not yet known, sources said she took less than Stewart and Ionescu.

"We need to make sure we're able to really keep all the best players on the team," Stewart said on the 'Game Recognize Game With Stewie and Myles' podcast. "That's why you'll see a few of us in the millions, and everybody else trying to get as much as they can while also having a great team."

It previously had been reported that the trio, all part of the Liberty's 2024 WNBA championship team, would be back in New York in 2026. But it's notable that each of them has agreed to a term longer than one season.

With the WNBA's compressed free agency this year due to the late collective bargaining agreement in March, some free agents have opted for one-year deals with a chance to revisit after this season. But in a release from the team Friday, Stewart, Jones and Ionescu all stressed that they wanted to stay in New York long-term.

"My family is set up and solid here," Stewart said in the release. "I'm committed to the Liberty, and I'm excited to continue to invest in my teammates, in the community, and in a franchise that has already given me so much. I promise to keep fighting to bring more championships to the greatest city in the world."

Stewart, the No. 1 draft pick by Seattle in 2016, played six seasons with the Storm and won two championships there. She went to New York via free agency in 2023. Jones played six seasons in Connecticut, then came to New York in a 2023 trade. Ionescu has spent her WNBA career with the Liberty after being drafted No. 1 by New York in 2020.

"This is an incredibly historic moment for the New York Liberty franchise," general manager Jonathan Kolb said. "Re‑signing Breanna, Jonquel, and Sabrina reflects the trust, sacrifice, and shared purpose that define what it means to represent the Liberty, this city, and our fanbase.

"These three cornerstone players chose to invest in each other and in the long‑term legacy of this organization, a rare commitment that has the chance to redefine the standard of excellence across basketball."

Last season Stewart averaged 18.3 PPG and 6.5 RPG, Jones 13.6 PPG and 8.1 RPG, and Ionescu 18.2 PPG and 5.7 APG.

"It was always about staying here in New York, because this is home," Jones said in the release. "This is my foundation, and this is where I want to be."

In 1,733 regular season minutes with Ionescu, Jones and Stewart on the court together since 2023, the Liberty have recorded a +16.8 net rating. New York has a 70-16 record (81.4 percent) in games with all three are in the starting lineup.

"Continuing to play for the New York Liberty means everything-this city is truly home," Ionescu said. "We've built something special here, and I'm locked in on bringing another championship to the city and our fans."

The Liberty announced on Wednesday that it had re-signed Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Her deal was for one-year, $400,000, a source said.