The New York Liberty has sent media voters a bottle of merlot with a custom "Stew York MVP" label as the centerpiece of a wine-and-cheese-themed campaign backing forward Breanna Stewart for the league's top individual honor.

The push is part of a WNBA tradition in which teams ship themed gift packages to members of the media who vote on end-of-season awards, including MVP and Rookie of the Year. The boxes are designed to make the case for specific players while the playoffs run in parallel.

In Brooklyn, the Liberty's marketers have leaned on food-and-beverage themes before—a fit for a city known for its eats. This year's effort runs larger than usual because the Liberty and the WNBA are closing out their 30th anniversary season.

This season "feels different marketing-wise," Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson told Marketing Brew. "We are only one of three original teams remaining, so we feel really special, and really don't take that for granted at all…We wanted our fans to really celebrate with us."

As one of the league's original franchises, the Liberty chose fine wine as its motif and built the campaign around Stewart, a two-time WNBA MVP and this year's FIBA Women's World Cup MVP. Stewart, a veteran forward in her 10th season, has not hidden her taste for wine: after the Liberty won the 2024 championship, she posted on X asking fans to "hand a bottle of red wine to me" during the team's ticker-tape parade.

"We've been saying for a couple seasons now that she just continues to get better, so aging like a fine wine also really made sense," Stephenson said. "This is actually her 10th season in the league, so leaning into the idea of her aging, and a vintage wine, and getting better with time, it was just such an easy layup for us—no pun intended."

The box includes a card with "tasting notes" written in wine-enthusiast language that doubles as a stat sheet for Stewart's season. One bullet reads "notes of three-level scoring"; another calls her a "rare blend of size, skill, and efficiency." The card closes with the line, "pairs well with: the 2026 MVP conversation."

The campaign extends beyond Stewart. The Liberty is also pushing her for the All-WNBA First Team and the All-Defensive Team, center Jonquel Jones and guard Sabrina Ionescu for the All-WNBA First Team, and guard Pauline Astier for the All-Rookie Team. The back of the card carries tasting notes on Jones, Ionescu and Astier, plus a QR code linking to a website with additional facts and stats.

The Liberty worked with Brooklyn Wine Club to "bring this to life in an authentic way that bridged wine and basketball," Stephenson said. Both organizations are owned by Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. The box carries a "Liberty Vineyards" brand and includes a glass engraved with Ionescu's No. 20, a bottle stopper bearing Jones's No. 35, and a wooden cheese board with Astier's No. 18 carved into the front.

For the first time, the team widened the campaign beyond eligible voters. Stephenson said the decision followed a clear pattern: "What we've noticed is that even though media members are the only people who are able to vote on these campaigns, social media influenced the voting." Stemless plastic "Stew York MVP" glasses went to some fans at last week's games at Barclays Center, and VVIP members sampled the merlot.

The arena experience has anchored the Liberty's marketing all season. Eight of the team's 22 home games were dedicated to the 30th-anniversary celebration—the first time the club activated one campaign across multiple games, according to Stephenson.

"We wanted to amplify it and make sure that everyone felt why this was so significant, especially as we think about the growth and the evolution of the league," Stephenson said. "I think it really speaks to the growth and the long-term success of the league."