The safety of women athletes has become one of the most important conversations in modern sports. Few understand that reality better than Breanna Stewart, who bravely spoke out during the height of the #MeToo movement about the childhood trauma she endured. Her decision to share her story helped shine a light on an issue many athletes had long been afraid to discuss. Now, in a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, Stewart once again reflected on that difficult chapter and how she found the resilience to move forward.

“I think the word that comes to my mind is that it’s disgusting, because that’s how I feel when I think about my own situation. It’s almost like it wasn’t the same life because it’s so far back. And when things happen, you kind of block them out of your memory,” Stewart said on the podcast while talking about the “files”. “So I believe some parts of my trauma my brain is subconsciously not having me remember on purpose. There are holes in your memory.”

She continued, “But I think that for people who are victims of s-xual ab-se or anything like that, those are the ones we have to be looking out for. It’s not only the trauma you go through at that moment, the sexual abuse itself, but also the mental toll that comes afterward from carrying that weight.”

Stewie first revealed that she had been mol-sted as a child in a powerful “Me Too” essay at the height of the movement way back in 2017. She was inspired to share her story after reading Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney’s account of s-xual ab-se, hoping that her honesty could help others feel less alone and encourage more survivors to speak up.

In her essay for The Players’ Tribune, Stewart shared that the ab-se occurred at a relative’s home where she frequently spent the night. She revealed that it began when she was around nine years old and continued for nearly two years. Because of the ab-se, she struggled to sleep as a child. Stewart also revealed that she often knew what would happen when she went to the relative’s house, but found it difficult to tell her parents about what was happening.

But finding the courage to open up to her parents ultimately helped her escape that nightmare.

Breanna Stewart further continued, “Luckily for me, I had a great circle around me. I remember when I was younger, I couldn’t stop thinking about what was happening. I walked into my mom’s room and told her, ‘Hey, listen. So and so is touching me down there.’ That’s literally what I said. My mom was shocked. But my mom and dad went right into action. They called 911 and did all those things. That night was a blur. But I had basketball practice that night.”

Her parents acted quickly, and the relative responsible was eventually arrested by police. He later admitted to the heinous acts he had committed against Stewart, who was just nine years old at the time.

Stewart ended her Players’ Tribune essay by reflecting on why it took her so long to open up. She explained that part of the reason she waited to tell even those closest to her was because she never wanted to be defined solely by that painful chapter of her life. Stewart added that people are often far more complex than they appear, and sharing her story was a way of reclaiming that truth.

She concluded the essay with the powerful line: “And I can finally sleep.” A sentence that captured the relief and closure she had finally found after years of carrying that burden.

Stewie being Stewie, she has also been one of the prominent voices in the ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations. Here’s where things currently stand.

Will Breanna Stewart and Co. Take the Court in the WNBA Next Season?

The March 10 deadline has passed, and both parties have yet to reach an agreement despite sitting down for more than 10 hours on consecutive days this week. The talks have now totaled nearly 50 hours since Tuesday’s meeting began around 5 p.m. ET, yet there has still been no breakthrough in the negotiations.

The likes of Breanna Stewart, Brianna Turner, and Alysha Clark have been involved in the discussions, while Napheesa Collier even arrived in person on Friday to attend the meeting. However, the revenue-sharing hurdle still remains, with both parties far from reaching their desired targets. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has now proposed a new deadline, which could potentially be the final one.

“I’ve never been a betting woman in my life and I’m not going to start now, but we have to get a deal by Monday. I should say we have to get it done without disrupting some part of the fact that we’ve got to run this two-team expansion [draft]. We have to get expansion going. We have to get free agency going. We got to get the college draft, which is now a month from today,” she said.

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We are now approaching a situation where, if both parties fail to reach an agreement, the league could begin losing games and the revenue that comes with them. No one wants that scenario to unfold, but it remains a harsh reality if negotiations continue to stall.