Analyzing WNBA Star Breanna Stewart’s Cryptic Free Agency Tweets
Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports
In her six-year WNBA career, Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart has racked up accolades; she’s a four-time All-Star, two-time WNBA Champion and one-time MVP. There’s no doubt that Stewart is a problem for opposing teams, but now she’s creating havoc in another arena: Twitter.
Stewart, who’s now an unrestricted free agent, has caused a stir with her internet hieroglyphics, which feature everything from a baby bottle to a crocodile. Unrestricted free agents aren’t allowed to start officially negotiating contracts until Jan. 21, when Stewart’s expected to meet with multiple teams, according to reports. However, she’s been dropping hints of her next move (using more emojis than my mom, I might add) since Jan. 16.
So, what does it all mean? No one can know for sure—except for Stewart herself, of course—but I’ll try my best to decode using a combination of intuition and a lifetime of internet usage.
Tweet 1: Jan. 16
Stewart starts off strong with this absolute banger, which appears to be a math equation of some sort.
The first two emojis here are pretty straightforward and linear, if you think about it. (And trust me, I’ve thought about it a little too much). In 2020, Stewart won her second championship with the Storm. The next year, Stewart and her wife, former WNBA player Marta Xargay, welcomed their first child.
The plane indicates travel (unless Stewart is working on getting her pilot’s license?) and it looks like a new home is also in the cards. The last three emojis in the first half of Stewart’s tweet are the most easy to decipher, in my opinion: She’s making money playing basketball overseas (she’s currently tearing it up in the EuroLeague).
Now for the hard part: Stewart’s animal and star sign laden second half of the equation. She starts off with a leopard and crocodile, which are—unfortunately—not WNBA mascots. Stewart is a beast on the court though, so maybe she’s just hyping herself up.
The crane could mean that Stewart’s decision is “under construction,” while the plug (along with the newspaper) point to some “electric” news being dropped.
I was able to confirm that Stewart’s a Virgo, but had to ask my astrology-obsessed roommates what that means in the grand scheme of things. Supposedly, Virgos are “very orderly, meticulous people” who crave stability. So if it’s stability she’s looking for, Stewart could consider sticking in Seattle—but let’s dive further.
Tweet 2: Jan. 19
Stewart’s feed consisted of only retweets for three days after her initial cryptic post. And for her second act, Stewart returned with something that says a lot without saying much at all.
Two days out from the negotiation period, it looks like she teased a “spicy” announcement. Is she going to the Indiana Fever? The Dallas Wings? Only time will tell, because Stewart certainly won’t (at least not in easily decipherable English at this time).
Tweet 3 and Tweet 4:
We’re looking at these two together because Stewart dropped them within two hours of each other.
First up, she returns to maximalism with this tweet; and if the devil emoji is any indication, she’s aware of the chaos she’s causing across the league. You have to respect her for being cheeky with it.
The alarm is straightforward—the emoji has become the universal sign for “I have very important news that I want you to pay attention to.” Things go off the rails with the juice box and ice cube, however. Is Stewart thirsty? (Maybe.) Does she have ice in her veins? (Definitely).
I’m not one for betting, but the last few entries in this tweet seem to be a positive indicator for Storm fans. People use pushpins to mark their current locations, and the recycling symbol combined with the victory flag might mean that Stewart is ready to win another championship in Seattle. What’s more, the city is known for its seafood … It all looks pretty promising.
Stewart’s latest tweet is also her least cryptic (unless she’s trolling, which isn’t off the table at this point). I don’t see her transitioning into an NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, so that first emoji is clearly referring to the Storm.
Apple doesn’t have a Lynx emoji (shameful!), but the wolf is a perfectly serviceable stand-in to refer to the Minnesota squad.
As both a Northern Virginia native and emoji connoisseur, I’m quite impressed with Stewart’s usage of Apple’s “classical building” emoji to indicate the Washington Mystics. A less seasoned emoji user might have gone with a wand (🪄) or sparkles (✨) in this situation, but Stewart’s a pro. Remember: It’s Breanna Stewart’s emoji world. We’re all just living in it.
Finally, Stewart gives her nod to the New York Liberty as another potential landing place.
So, where will Stewart end up? That’s anyone’s guess, but when she announces it I hope it’s just as flashy and confusing as this teasing period has been. In fact, I wouldn’t complain if Stewart never typed in full sentences ever again.
