Jason Sudeikis – The Ted Lasso star and New York Liberty forward discuss the evolving landscape of women’s sports, the pressure of elite competition, and why greatness eventually looks like a target.
When Breanna Stewart walks onto the set, her 6-foot-4 frame commands the room, but Jason Sudeikis doesn’t hesitate. He reaches up to embrace the New York Liberty forward. a greeting that mirrors the ones he has offered courtside after her team’s major victories. including the run to the 2024 WNBA championship. For Sudeikis, a former college basketball player turned comedian, fandom is an all-in commitment. He arrives wearing an Arsenal hat. a nod to his support for the Premier League team he adopted while filming Ted Lasso. and Nikes in UConn colorways to honor Stewart’s alma mater. He is a staple of ‘CeLIBrity row. ‘ the group of Liberty superfans that includes Spike Lee. Alicia Keys and the cast of Severance.
Stewart’s career is a staggering collection of hardware: four NCAA titles. three WNBA titles. four World Cup championships. and three Olympic gold medals. At 32, she isn’t slowing down. Her eyes are set on further dominance, a goal Sudeikis respects as a fellow veteran of high-pressure environments. Just a week after their conversation. the eighth-seeded Liberty swept the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the playoffs. defeating a team led by Stewart’s friend and former UConn teammate. Napheesa Collier—with whom Stewart co-founded the 3-on-3 offseason league Unrivaled in 2023.
The conversation between the two reveals the internal engine required to sustain elite performance. Stewart admits that her motivation often feels like an ‘insane confidence’—an obsession with getting better that doesn’t necessarily feel like ambition from the inside. Sudeikis notes that in both basketball and show business. there is a recurring pattern of ‘softening’ leadership. citing the shift in rapport between UConn coach Geno Auriemma and his players. and the evolution of SNL creator Lorne Michaels. Stewart acknowledges the change. noting that the NIL landscape has forced coaches to adapt because players today have more leverage and more alternatives. She observes that while her generation was driven by a pure desire to win championships. current college athletes are often navigating the heavy influence of massive financial deals.
Success in the WNBA is currently being viewed through the lens of Caitlin Clark’s arrival. which has brought in millions of new fans alongside a surge of culture-war scrutiny. Stewart acknowledges that while the league always wanted this growth, the newfound fame brings challenges. She remains detached from social media, telling her teammates to prepare for questions that move far beyond the court. She has become accustomed to consistent brilliance, a status that sometimes leads to people taking her performance for granted. ‘I think people just get used to me being great all the time,’ she tells Sudeikis. ‘It’s expected. so when I do it all the time. it’s not that same brightness because it’s just consistently bright.’.
Looking ahead. the two discuss the future of the WNBA and the vacuum left by commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s upcoming departure. Stewart suggests the next leader needs a mix of deep business acumen and a genuine sports background to navigate an industry now dealing in billions. As for the courts. Stewart is already eyeing the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. determined to chase Diana Taurasi’s record of five gold medals. Sudeikis. meanwhile. remains tight-lipped about the possibility of a fifth season of Ted Lasso. though he admits he kept jotting down ideas for the characters even when he thought the show was finished. For now. the focus is on the next win. the next record. and the work that happens when the cameras are off.
Jason Sudeikis Breanna Stewart WNBA New York Liberty Ted Lasso Unrivaled