Today is Day 30 of the Omer. Gevurah sheb’hod. Humility that manifests as power. 

In only three years in the WNBA, Breanna Stewart has been a 2x All-Star, League MVP, and WNBA Champion, while averaging 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists/game. That’s a small sample size, but she’s simply been the best wherever she’s been. 

She was the high school player of the year, 3x consensus college National Player of the Year, and 4x NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, leading UCONN to a National Championship in each of her four years.

Despite all of her success and accolades, Stewart has remained humble, the essence of the week of hod. On Day 30, gevurah sheb’hod, we celebrate a player whose humility manifests in power. For Stewart, it’s not about a power game on the court, although she can post up, block shots, and dunk. It’s about her willingness to speak truth to power.

In 2017, she shared her story as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse on The Players Tribune. In 2018, she teamed up with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to raise money and awareness for other survivors. She has continued to find her voice as an activist, joining others at the airport to protest the Muslim travel ban and to speak out in support of gay rights and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

It would have been easy for one of the greatest basketball players ever to just hide behind her success, but her humility has emerged into a power that goes far beyond the basketball court.

Featured image from BDZ Sports.