As Breanna Stewart walked off the Barclays Center court for the final time this season, she looked out into the crowd and was overcome with emotion.
asserted
she → walk → emotion
“Just frustration,” Stewart said after experiencing her first 3-0 sweep in her career, “because I believe that, no matter what cards are dealt, you can always, like, I can always make something happen.
asserted
something → say → career
And coming up short with the team really sucks.
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coming → come → team
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you → get → things
tRY IT NOWStewart wasn’t just frustrated that the Liberty fell short of their championship expectations.
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Liberty → try → expectations
She’s frustrated because she knows how difficult it is to get there, how much has to go right and how rare it is to have a legitimate opportunity to make something special happen.
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something → ’ → opportunity
This season, she believes the Liberty came close.
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Liberty → believe → ?
But that doesn’t make accepting the season’s outcome — the wrong end of a semifinals sweep —
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that → make → sweep
“What I’m thinking about right now is just missed opportunity,” Stewart said.
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Stewart → think → What
“We went to the Finals two years in a row and haven’t gone since, but it’s really hard to get to the Finals.
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it → go → Finals
It’s really hard to win a WNBA championship, and I feel like because we did it, we went there twice early on, it was almost like, ‘Oh, this is gonna be an every year thing.’
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this → ’ → it
You guys know, this s–t isn’t easy.”
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t → know → ?
Stewart finished third in MVP voting this season after averaging 20.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.
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Stewart → finish → points
She carried the Liberty throughout a turbulent season, missing only two of 44 games.
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She → carry → games
She put the team on her back countless times.
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She → put → back
With a new coaching staff, she took on an even more vocal leadership role.
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she → take → role
Stewart, who earned her eighth All-Star selection, performed at a peak level all season.
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who → earn → level
But another season of Stewart’s prime has ended without the Liberty accomplishing what she came to New York to do.
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she → end → York
She wanted to win championships and build a dynasty.
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She → want → dynasty
After back-to-back seasons ending before the WNBA Finals, the Liberty have some serious decisions to make in order to better capitalize on this window.
asserted
Liberty → end → window
Entering Friday, with New York on the brink of elimination, all Stewart could think about was extending the Liberty’s season.
uncertain
Stewart → enter → season
If she could just will the Liberty to one more win, then New York would have another opportunity to potentially force the series back to Atlanta and the team’s championship hopes would stay alive.
uncertain
hopes → will → Atlanta
That didn’t happen.
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That → happen → ?
“All of us wanted more,” Rebecca Allen said.
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Allen → want → more
“All of us wanted to get to the Finals.
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All → want → Finals
So I mean, yes, obviously, I want more for Stewie, but I want more for myself.
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I → mean → myself
I want more for the girls — everyone in the locker room — [I] want more for the coaches as well, and I think it’s something that we had every potential of achieving.”
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we → want → potential
Sue Bird used to tell Stewart all the time as teammates with Seattle, where they won two championships, to not take the moment for granted.
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they → use → moment
Winning a championship is a privilege, not a guarantee.
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Winning → win → championship
There’s so much that goes into getting there in the first place.
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that → ’ → place
It’s not just talent and chemistry; there’s luck, too.
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It → ’ → ?
Stewart said she’ll “definitely” share her thoughts on the roster and team needs with general manager Jonathan Kolb.
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she → say → Kolb
“Unless you’re in a rebuild, which we’re not, everybody should be in a win-now mindset,” Stewart said.
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Stewart → ’re → mindset
“Selfishly, like, listen, I plan on playing for I don’t know however many more years.
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I → listen → years
I have Olympics and World Cups that I want to win and stuff, but especially after being injured last season, I don’t take for granted a healthy season, and that’s what really pisses me off is — not that it was wasted — just like I couldn’t fulfill my full opportunity to make something spicy happen.
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something → have → opportunity
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