Breanna Stewart Is Ready to See UConn Win It All

Breanna Stewart is pretty happy with how her March Madness brackets turned out, and with good reason.

Combining her women’s and men’s picks, Stewart has just one miss among her Final Four teams (she picked Florida instead of Illinois on the men’s side). One thing both of her brackets have in common: her alma mater UConn as the last team standing.

Stewart, of course, is no stranger to March. A four-time national champion and Most Outstanding Player in her time at UConn, Stewart helped raise the bar even higher for a Huskies program known for its dynasties.

Though the program experienced a nine-season gap between championships (including the canceled 2020 tournament due to COVID-19) following Stewart’s departure, this year’s UConn squad has the chance to craft another dynasty era with a second straight national title within reach.

When asked what it would mean for UConn to repeat as champions, Stewart quickly pointed to the longevity of coach Geno Auriemma.

“I feel like Coach Auriemma has kind of put himself in a place of his own,” Stewart told Sports Illustrated in an interview on behalf of Reese’s. “Just being able to win through the generations and be consistent and consistently put out the best players and help them leave better than they came so that they're ready for the next level.”

With all No. 1 seeds remaining in the women’s tournament, the road to the title will be no easy feat. That is no exception for UConn, which faces South Carolina in its Final Four matchup.

Among the star power on UConn’s roster, Stewart points to women's Naismith Trophy finalist Sarah Strong as the Huskies’ ultimate x-factor.

“Obviously, you know what Azzi [Fudd] is going to bring,” Stewart said. “She’s at the top of people’s scouting report, but Sarah has really kind of stood into her own, like stepped into her own space from her freshman year to her sophomore year, and just being like a three-level scorer.”

Meanwhile, UConn’s men’s program will attempt to win its third title in four years under coach Dan Hurley after a thrilling upset of No. 1 seed Duke in the Elite Eight. But even if Stewart’s brackets are ultimately broken with a UConn loss, she still helped fans earn a sweet treat through the For A Reese’s campaign that helped fans win Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or Final Four tickets for sharing their broken brackets on social media.

“I was going for some upsets and they did not happen,’ Stewart said. “It definitely earned me a Reese’s.”

Beyond brackets, Stewart has had an eventful offseason. In January, she was honored alongside Napheesa Collier with Sports Illustrated's Innovator of the Year Award for their 3x3 women’s basketball league, Unrivaled. In March, Stewart added an Unrivaled championship to her resume in the league’s second season. She then helped the WNBPA finalize a new collective bargaining agreement with the WNBA, an accomplishment that will see players be rewarded more than ever before.

“With free agency... you’re gonna see, people are gonna get a bag for sure,” Stewart said on part of what makes the new CBA a game-changer.

Legacy can be defined in many ways for Stewart. There’s her playing career, and there’s the impact she’s leaving for future generations. She’ll see the former play out in part with UConn’s quest for another national championship this weekend, and the latter as the WNBA enters a new era with players at the forefront.

For Stewart, it’s all coming together like a perfect bracket.

“I think that I want my legacy to be someone that really makes an impact on and off the court and knowing that I was there with my fellow [bargaining] members in the rooms like live negotiating,” Stewart said. “We were going to do whatever we could to get the best out of this deal and get the job done and, [we did] exactly that. I’m just happy to be able to be there.”

Breanna Stewart Is Ready to See UConn Win It All—Again

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