Breanna Stewart breaks her silence after WNBA star and wife received homophobic email

WNBA legend Breanna Stewart has spoken out after her wife received a threatening email last week.

The two-time MVP’s wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, reported the vile, homophobic email to the NYPD last week after receiving the threatening message following the New York Liberty’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

Stewart, one of the Liberty’s biggest stars, opened up on the ordeal Tuesday as she revealed how she and her family were coping with the horrific incident.

‘Myself and my family, we’re definitely doing OK,’ Stewart told reporters, via ESPN. ‘We’re taking the proper precautions.’

‘I think that for Marta, especially, I think it was, it is, terrifying,’ Stewart added.

WNBA legend Breanna Stewart has spoken out after her wife received a threatening email

Xargay Casademont (L) reported the vile, homophobic email to the NYPD

The message, which contained a death threat and abusive language, was sent after the Liberty’s opening loss of the series, which is now tied 1-1 following New York’s bounceback victory in Game 2 on Sunday.

During the opening game, Stewart missed a free throw for the lead with 0.8 seconds remaining before also misfiring on a layup which would have tied the game at the end of overtime.

With the spotlight of being in the Finals and everything like that, they said it makes the most sense to [file something formal],’ Stewart said.

However, Stewart revealed it wasn’t the first time her family had come under threat, adding that ‘there was some other things happening at the same time’ and that ‘threats continued to build after Game 1.’

Stewart, a three-time Olympic Gold medalist, and Xargay Casademont, former pro basketball player, share two children together: Ruby, 3, and Theo, who turns 1 at the end of the month.

‘[The threat was] something that she couldn’t not see,’ Stewart said of Xargay Casademont. ‘So the level of closeness was a little bit different. And I think that we just want to make sure, obviously, myself and Marta are OK, but our kids are the ones that are the safest.’

‘There’s another level of invasion happening there,’ she added. ‘[We want to make] sure that this isn’t happening only just for a scare tactic. And if it is, it still is highly inappropriate and unacceptable.’

A memo from NBA security last week said that the email was sent from ‘an Internet address that has been associated with other hateful missives, including death threats, bomb threats and more racist rhetoric.’

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The two-time MVP and former player share a kiss while holding their daughter Ruby in 2022

Xargay Casademont and Stewart tied the knot back in July of 2021 after getting engaged in May of the year before.

Before retirement, Xargay Casademont won a silver medal with the Spanish national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The incident is the latest in a series of threats made against the WNBA’s stars as the league made waves this season.

Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington have also been on the receiving end of threatening messages after the league gained more prominence – and along with it a new group of fans – this year.

‘We love that people are engaged in our sport, but not to the point where there’s threats or harassment or homophobic comments being made,’ Stewart said. ‘So we’re just continuing to let the league know. They’re handling it, but also, I think for me, just continue to use this platform to make sure that everyone knows that it’s unacceptable to bring to our sport and really into the world.’

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Stewart and the New York Liberty tied the finals series at 1-1 against the Minnesota Lynx

She said that many people had stepped in to help support her and her family but urged the league to ‘make sure they’re ahead’ of such incidents.

‘There needs to be a little bit of like a protocol or a thing before the season, because this year especially is one it’s really starting to happen,’ Stewart added.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Thursday that the hateful speech directed at her players was ‘troubling’ and insisted that she and the league will continue to work with with the players’ association and teams on taking a ‘multidimensional’ approach.

‘We know there’s more work to be done, and as a league, we are fully committed to listening to the players and other stakeholders on this and other important issues,’ Engelbert said.

With the spotlight of being in the Finals and everything like that, they said it makes the most sense to [file something formal],’ Stewart said.

However, Stewart revealed it wasn’t the first time her family had come under threat, adding that ‘there was some other things happening at the same time’ and that ‘threats continued to build after Game 1.’

Stewart, a three-time Olympic Gold medalist, and Xargay Casademont, former pro basketball player, share two children together: Ruby, 3, and Theo, who turns 1 at the end of the month.

‘[The threat was] something that she couldn’t not see,’ Stewart said of Xargay Casademont. ‘So the level of closeness was a little bit different. And I think that we just want to make sure, obviously, myself and Marta are OK, but our kids are the ones that are the safest.’

‘There’s another level of invasion happening there,’ she added. ‘[We want to make] sure that this isn’t happening only just for a scare tactic. And if it is, it still is highly inappropriate and unacceptable.’

A memo from NBA security last week said that the email was sent from ‘an Internet address that has been associated with other hateful missives, including death threats, bomb threats and more racist rhetoric.’

+4
View gallery

The two-time MVP and former player share a kiss while holding their daughter Ruby in 2022

Xargay Casademont and Stewart tied the knot back in July of 2021 after getting engaged in May of the year before.

Before retirement, Xargay Casademont won a silver medal with the Spanish national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The incident is the latest in a series of threats made against the WNBA’s stars as the league made waves this season.

Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington have also been on the receiving end of threatening messages after the league gained more prominence – and along with it a new group of fans – this year.

‘We love that people are engaged in our sport, but not to the point where there’s threats or harassment or homophobic comments being made,’ Stewart said. ‘So we’re just continuing to let the league know. They’re handling it, but also, I think for me, just continue to use this platform to make sure that everyone knows that it’s unacceptable to bring to our sport and really into the world.’

+4
View gallery

Stewart and the New York Liberty tied the finals series at 1-1 against the Minnesota Lynx

She said that many people had stepped in to help support her and her family but urged the league to ‘make sure they’re ahead’ of such incidents.

‘There needs to be a little bit of like a protocol or a thing before the season, because this year especially is one it’s really starting to happen,’ Stewart added.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Thursday that the hateful speech directed at her players was ‘troubling’ and insisted that she and the league will continue to work with with the players’ association and teams on taking a ‘multidimensional’ approach.

‘We know there’s more work to be done, and as a league, we are fully committed to listening to the players and other stakeholders on this and other important issues,’ Engelbert said.