Breanna Stewart Sweeps WNBA Rookie of the Month Awards for 2016 Season


NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2016 – Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm today was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month presented by Samsung for games played in September. Stewart earned the honor for the fourth month in a row, sweeping Rookie of the Month awards for the 2016 season.

The WNBA Rookie of the Month and the Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Month awards are presented by Samsung and are part of the larger WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program. This marks the third consecutive season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, will present the WNBA’s highest individual honors, including the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and WNBA Rookie of the Year.

For September, Stewart led all rookies in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and blocked shots (1.7 bpg) and ranked second in scoring (18.3 ppg), assists (3.0 apg) and minutes played (33.1 mpg). Among all WNBA players, she was third in rebounding and blocks, tied for sixth in scoring and fifth in minutes played.

The No. 1 overall pick in WNBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm, Stewart scored in double digits in all seven games in September, including back-to-back 23-point performances. During a four-game winning streak that propelled the Storm to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, Stewart collected 23 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in a 102-78 victory over the New York Liberty on Sept. 7.

For the season, Stewart finished sixth in the league in scoring (18.3 ppg), second in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and third in blocks (1.9 bpg). She led the league in defensive rebounding (8.1 drpg) and broke Lisa Leslie’s single-season record with 277. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Stewart will lead the seventh-seeded Storm against the sixth-seeded Atlanta Dream in a single-elimination playoff game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNEWS.

Highlights of Stewart’s month included:

• Sept. 4 at Atlanta: Scored 23 points (on 8-of-13 shooting from the field) to go with eight rebounds and six assists in a 91-82 win.
• Sept. 7 at New York: Collected 23 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in a 102-78 win.
• Sept. 9 at Washington: Recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in an 81-76 win.

Continue Reading