The WNBA’s 27th season launches this weekend — and one of the league’s top stars almost skipped it.

Breanna Stewart entered free agency in the offseason after seven years with the Seattle Storm, with whom she won an MVP and two Finals MVPs with her two title rings. Like so many others, she played abroad last fall, with no guarantee she’d return.

Now playing for the New York Liberty, the All-Star returns to a shifting landscape.