MADISON, Ill. – Gateway Motorsports Park and World Wide Technology, a market-leading technology solution provider, announced a long-term naming rights agreement on Wednesday.

The new deal renames the facility World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

The multi-faceted racing venue serves as home to NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA racing in the St. Louis region, where WWT was founded and is headquartered.

WWT also becomes the official technology partner of the track and will use the venue to advance development programs for the company and its community outreach initiatives.

“The support of WWT will help ensure that our track will compete for North America’s most elite races and offer an innovative and exhilarating fan experience for years to come,” said Curtis Francois, owner and CEO of Gateway Motorsports Park. “The relationship with WWT will help us tremendously as we continue to grow World Wide Technology Raceway into one of the premier racing facilities in the country.

“WWT founder and Chairman David Steward and his family are among the most respected corporate and civic leaders in our community. We are thrilled to partner with their iconic brand and mission,” Francois continued. “Further, David Steward II and his company Lion Forge are actively engaged in the sponsorship, which speaks to the powerful future potential of our alliance.”

The announcement was made during the 2019 Global Leadership Forum Summit, which took place at WWT.

Founded by David Steward in 2015, GLF strives to connect the world’s leading STEAM organizations that are engaging, educating, empowering, and transforming underserved communities and building tomorrow’s workforce.

The track plans to utilize the assets and knowledge that WWT and their partners are developing in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Whether it’s STEAM initiatives, technological enhancements for fan experience, or community outreach and diversity, the raceway will serve as a cutting-edge proving ground.

“WWT and the Steward family are blessed and honored to align ourselves with the Francois family and the team at World Wide Technology Raceway,” said David Steward. “Given our shared vision and values, we knew we had a perfect opportunity to better serve the entire community. Under Curtis Francois’ tremendous leadership, we look forward to creating a meaningful and lasting impact for the region in the years ahead.”

“As our family has experienced firsthand, motorsport events are a great way to bring a diverse array of people together throughout the region,” added David Steward II. “We are thankful and grateful for the opportunity to support the new partnership and provide additional opportunities to the community.”

As part of the partnership between the two St. Louis area organizations, Gateway will feature WWT signage throughout the venue, web and social communications channels and branding on all event promotions.

Signage changeover is currently underway and will continue to evolve throughout the year.

The new partnership furthers WWT’s tie to racing, as the company is also the official technology and analytics partner of Richard Petty Motorsports and the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team.

Chris Tilley is one of the hardest working men in motorsports.

No, he’s not a race car driver. He’s not a car owner or crew member. The 33-year-old Tilley is a promoter, announcer and public relations man; and those roles keep him incredibly busy.

“I think last year with other things that I had going on, I spent four Saturday nights at home. Two of them were due to rain,” Tilley admitted.

It is understandable if you’ve never heard of Tilley. Though if you’ve been to a dirt-track race in the Southeast or Midwest in the last few years, you’ve probably heard his booming voice. The kind-hearted native of Somerset, Ky., tends to fly under the radar when he’s walking the pits at a race track, though his voice is recognizable during the many events where he serves as announcer.

So how did Tilley make his way into the racing business? Like many before him, it’s because he went to the race track with his dad as a kid.

HOLLY, Mich. – After a longer-than-anticipated offseason, the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro will kick off its new season on May 4 at one of its longest-running facilities, Indiana’s Anderson Speedway.

The high-banked quarter-mile will play host to the Must See Racing season opener for the first time, as a star-studded field of drivers tries to conquer the Hoosier State bullring during the Must See Racing 50.

Leading the charge for the series regulars will be four-time defending series champion Jimmy McCune, who romped to another title last season on the strength of five victories during the course of the year.

McCune, who boasts a series-best five victories at Anderson (2010, 2015 hat trick, 2017), will be looking to get back to victory lane there after being bested by a dominant Chris Neuenschwander one year ago.

Neuenschwander is expected to be back, however, to try and defend his victory from last year’s Must See Racing 50, again driving the No. 10n Pro Strip/NAPA Auto Parts entry for car owner Ron Koehler.

His victory last fall saw the New Haven, Ind., veteran charge from seventh to the win, lead 48 out of 50 laps and put all but runner-up McCune a lap or more down by the time the checkered flag waved in one of the most dominant performances in series history.

Aside from McCune and Neuenschwander, longtime series veteran Tom Jewell will be back in the White Hare Racing No. 7 to take another stab at securing his first Must See Racing victory, while National Sprint Car Hall of Famer and three-time Pay Less Little 500 champion Jeff Bloom is also expected to compete.

Canadian Ryan Litt will return to Must See Racing competition this season in hopes of unseating McCune for the series championship, with former supermodified ace Charlie Schultz and McCune’s nephew – Anthony McCune – also projected to be title contenders, as well as in the mix for an Anderson victory.

The list of non-series regulars who could play a factor at Anderson is equally as loaded, too, with North Carolina’s Tony Grams and Ohio’s Trey Osborne among those with plenty of bullring experience.

Osborne is a past Mel Kenyon Midget Series winner at the Anderson quarter-mile and will pilot the Mike Blake Racing No. 81, while Grams is entered in his own No. 22 machine.

The Must See Racing 50 at Anderson will be broadcast live on pay-per-view by Speed Shift TV, as well as taped for broadcast on the SPEED SPORT television series on MAVTV. United States Auto Club pit and infield reporter Georgia Henneberry will serve as the pit reporter for the SPEED SPORT broadcast.

And while the likely winner of the season opener won’t be known until the first Saturday in May, one thing is for certain: with more than 20 cars projected to be in attendance, the action on the track will be fast, furious and entertaining – all hallmark qualities of The World’s Fastest Short Track Cars.

“All of us at Must See Racing are extremely eager to kick off the 2019 season after a long winter, and there’s hardly a better place to do so than at Anderson Speedway, which is deeply tied in to both the history of Must See Racing and the history of sprint car racing as a whole,” said Must See Racing President Jim Hanks. “Having the Must See Racing 50 as our season kickoff this year, with so many potential storylines to follow, will make for a strong launching pad for our racing calendar this year.

“We hope the fans will come out and join us on May 4 as we hit the track for the first time in 2019.”

In addition to the Must See Racing sprint cars, late models, Legend cars and the Midwest Champ Carts will also be on the racing card for the May 4 program.

Pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with rotating practice beginning at 5 p.m. Qualifying will start at 6:30 p.m. and racing will begin at 8 p.m., immediately following opening ceremonies.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is targeting at least one signing in every area of his squad this summer, sources have told ESPN FC.

Solskjaer said after the chastening Champions League exit to Barcelona on Tuesday night that he is facing a "rebuild" at Old Trafford before United again challenge for top trophies.

The work is set to start at the end of the season with Solskjaer looking to strengthen each area of his team with two new defenders, two midfielders and a forward.

Goalkeeper David De Gea will enter the final year of his deal in the summer but progress over an extension has been slow.

Sources have told ESPN FC the United manager will be backed with significant funds during the summer transfer window and will also be allowed to spend any cash generated by player sales.

Club captain Antonio Valencia is set to lead the exodus after the club decided against triggering a one year extension in the 33-year-old's contract. The Ecuador international has not started a game for United since the 2-0 win over Newcastle on Jan. 2 but, according to sources, is nearing a comeback and could return to the squad for Sunday's trip to Everton.

Ander Herrera is set to leave for Paris Saint-Germain this summer after failing to agree terms on a new contract. Juan Mata is yet to sign a new one-year deal and will become a free agent on June 30 if the stand-off continues.

There are also doubts over the futures of Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez although sources have told ESPN FC there are no plans to sell Paul Pogba despite interest from Real Madrid.

United usually work towards a plan of signing three players during the summer but with more players than usual expected to leave, Solskjaer is set to get special dispensation to bring in more targets.

There is interest in Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane, Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez as well as young English trio Declan Rice, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho.

Sources told ESPN FC that after the 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou, Solskjaer told his players he is determined to build a squad capable of reaching Barcelona's level.

"They played very well," said Sanchez, who was applauded onto the pitch on his return to his former club after coming on for the final 10 minutes following his return from a hamstring injury.

"We had very clear chances, but this is football, this is the Champions League, if you get something wrong or fail then the other team gets on top of you. That's what Barcelona do.

"When I came on to the pitch I heard the applause and the truth is I am very happy about this.

"It was a nice moment for me. With the other players we won good things here and I am very happy to return from my injury and I am also very happy with the applause from the crowd."

In his teens, Virgil van Dijk worked part time washing dishes in a small-town restaurant. Nobody at Willem II, his mid-table Dutch club, saw much future in him. He was a well-liked but occasionally difficult kid -- "a real little rat," according to his youth coach, Robby Hendriks. Willem II wasn't even planning to offer him a professional contract.

Fast-forward to 2019, and this spring, Van Dijk, 27, is expected to win both of England's Footballer of the Year awards. One is voted for by his colleagues, the other by the Football Writers' Association. If Liverpool win their first league title in 29 years, it would be in large part thanks to him. A long, gradual rise -- a mix of planning, dedication and luck -- is reaching its crescendo. But how did Van Dijk, No.4 in the ESPN FC 100, get this good?

Van Dijk's long rise began the summer he turned 17, in 2008, when he shot up 18 centimeters (7 inches) in height. Before then, Van Dijk has admitted to the BBC, he was a slow, short right-back with an unstable knee, not a player who was good enough to dominate as a central defender. The freshly minted giant -- he's now 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds -- reminded some at Willem II of another big defender who had passed through the club in the mid-1990s, Jaap Stam, but Van Dijk still couldn't break into the first team. His club thought he had "too many limitations" -- something Edwin Hermans, then coach of the reserves, later told Dutch newspaper Trouw.

Admittedly, Willem II weren't the greatest talent-spotters; a younger kid in their academy at the time, Frenkie de Jong, never quite cracked the first team, either. De Jong joined Ajax's youth ranks aged 18, and even when he returned to Willem II on loan, he made just one 20-minute appearance. (He's now waiting to join Barcelona when the transfer window opens on July 1.)

Van Dijk might have ended up being a full-time dishwasher if it weren't for the intervention of the Koeman family. Martin Koeman -- a Dutch international and father of two Dutch internationals, Erwin and Ronald -- scouted the 18-year-old for the family's ancestral club, FC Groningen. In 2010, Van Dijk headed north on a free transfer. He cycled to reserve-team practices because he couldn't yet drive. Groningen didn't let him play matches because he was overtired after a season playing for Willem II's reserves and under-18s simultaneously.

Only Van Dijk thought he was ready for Groningen's first team. Even when others didn't rate him, he always did.

Finally, on May 29, 2011, three months before his 20th birthday and after four sub appearances, he made his first professional start against ADO Den Haag. He was at fault for ADO's goal but scored twice himself. That set a rhythm for his career: He would become a pillar of each new team almost from day one.

There would be further setbacks. Most notably, aged 20, he nearly died. After days of undiagnosed medical problems, he suddenly found himself in the emergency ward of the Groningen hospital with peritonitis and kidney poisoning. He later told Voetbal International magazine: "I remember lying in that bed. The only thing I could see was tubes. My body was broken. I couldn't do anything. For the first time in my life, soccer was a side issue.

"My mother and I prayed to God and talked about possible scenarios. At one point, I had to sign papers. It was a sort of will. If I died, some of my money would go to my mother. I looked death in the eyes, and that wasn't pleasant."

Pretty soon, though, he was back on the field.

Van Dijk's teammate and housemate at Groningen, Tim Keurntjes, said that by this point, Van Dijk had become a central defender who had everything going for him: build, height and skill. It probably worked to Van Dijk's advantage that he had been short for most of his youth. If he was caught out of position as a kid, he couldn't rely on a bone-crunching tackle or a last-ditch sprint to save the situation. He had to learn soccer the traditional Dutch way: sport as a kind of dance in space in which every player has to ask himself every second, 'Am I in the right place now?' and, 'What could happen next?'"

Groningen's coach, Robert Maaskant, noted another quality: Van Dijk listened to criticism. He learned rapidly and consistently. Almost perversely for a late-blooming defender at a small club, he still believed he could reach the top; he just needed to improve his weak points. Perhaps because the level at Groningen was too easy for him, his biggest problem was concentration. In that sense, he was made for soccer's elite level, playing for teams on which the hysteria and stress forces you to focus.

Another theme in his career emerged: Every two years, he would move up a level. By 2013, he was ready for his next step. He turned down Brighton and then big money at Krasnodar in Russia because he had decided the smart career move was to join one of the big Dutch clubs. Unfortunately, none of them were interested. They all underestimated the first-rate player with a second-rate career who'd had a terrible game for Holland under-21s against Italy.

Groningen phoned Ajax's technical director, Marc Overmars, to offer him Van Dijk, reported Voetbal International magazine, but Overmars bought another young centre-back, Mike Van der Hoorn, instead. Today Van der Hoorn plays for Swansea in the Championship, and Van Dijk is competing for the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool.

In 2013, Van Dijk joined Celtic instead, and from the start, he saw it as an intermediate step. He instantly became an unquestioned regular in an iron-tight defense, winning two straight Scottish titles and continuing to improve by the month. Still, Holland's coach Louis van Gaal didn't take him to the 2014 World Cup, instead choosing the inexperienced defenders Terence Kongolo (playing for Huddersfield, who have been relegated from the Premier League) and Bruno Martins Indi (now at second-tier Stoke).

Van Dijk doesn't blame Van Gaal. "I wasn't as far [along in my career] then as I am now," he told the Dutch Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "The Scottish league just is below standard."

Van Gaal's scouts had shown him videos of Van Dijk letting attackers run away behind his back. Moreover, he told the Volkskrant newspaper, the young Van Dijk "didn't defend forward," meaning he didn't move into space toward the ball. The easiest thing for a big center-back is to sit back and fight out one-on-ones against a striker, but Holland's tactics (and Liverpool's now) require forward, proactive pressing. Van Dijk, who never enjoyed the luxury of top-notch youth coaching, has had to acquire that. His belated mastery of it has made him a perfect fit for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, perhaps the world leaders in proactive pressing.

In 2015, Martin Koeman's son Ronald brought him to Southampton. Soon after, aged 24, Van Dijk finally made his debut for Holland. (For comparison, his partner in the Dutch central defense, Matthijs de Ligt, debuted at 17.) Van Dijk served his standard two-year stint at Southampton and then, at 26, made his long-planned leap to the top, at Liverpool.

The transfer fee of £75 million made him the most expensive defender in history. He always says he never thinks much about the price -- not his problem, he believes. Still, it was a remarkable fee for a man who had cost Groningen exactly nothing nine years earlier and Celtic just £2.7 million in 2013.

In his debut at Anfield, he scored the winner against Everton in the Merseyside derby.

He feels as if everything since has gone almost automatically. VVD -- not his nickname in Holland, as it's already the acronym of the governing center-right political party -- is now an unquestioned star, yet he remains different from the multi-millionaires around him in the team. While most of them have been surrounded since adolescence by agents, sponsor reps and other hangers-on, Van Dijk remembers what it's like to be a modestly paid, ordinary person. He reached adulthood still able to walk unrecognized down the street anywhere except Groningen. He knows he might have stayed unrecognized forever.

Sometimes, watching Dutch TV at home in Liverpool, he sees former teammates play in the Dutch second division on minimum-wage contracts. His past has given him an awareness of others that is rare in top-class soccer: During the anthems before Holland vs. France last November, he gave his coat to a young girl mascot whom he'd noticed was freezing.

At 27, Van Dijk has reached the soccer player's zenith: an old head on young legs. His concentration seldom falters anymore, and the combination of his Dutch and British soccer education is paying off. Ronald Koeman, now Holland's manager, has made him captain.

Georginio Wijnaldum, Liverpool's other Dutch international, told the Nu.nl website: "If Virgil doesn't agree with something, you'll hear it from him. On the field, he's constantly busy with teammates, the people beside and in front of him. It's nice playing with Virgil behind me because he's always coaching. He keeps talking."

Van Dijk admits that he may talk too much, but the talking shows how he views soccer: as a test of intelligent, collective positioning. He values brain over brawn. Asked by the Algemeen Dagblad about his fellow physical-super-specimen Sergio Ramos, he replied: "I don't think Ramos is the best of this moment. Ramos is a wonderful player, but he's not my type of central defender. I try not to end up in the situations that he often gets into."

To see how Van Dijk prefers to solve problems on the pitch, watch how he single-handedly neutralized two counterattacking Tottenham players, Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-Min, by himself in last month's encounter at Anfield. That match was a must-win for Liverpool as they chase a first Premier League title, and with little time left and the score level at 1-1, Spurs had their chance to dash the Reds' dreams at Anfield.

It's a masterpiece of decision-making: Van Dijk calculated that the biggest danger would be a shot by Son, a natural striker, so he positioned himself between the two opponents and let Sissoko run all the way into the box but all the while forcing him onto his weak left foot. The Frenchman fired well over the bar. Minutes later, Liverpool got the winner. It was a moment that might end up deciding the title, and Van Dijk didn't even have to make a tackle.

"Every day, every week, I feel I'm getting better," he said.

Van Dijk now has a quiet life: train, come home to his wife and toddler daughters, rest, give everything he has in the match, and repeat. It's a demanding existence, but then, these are his peak years -- unless it turns out there's another upward step left in him. It's all a world away from the teenage part-time dishwasher, yet that person is still part of Van Dijk, too.

"I think you have to stay normal," he told the Volkskrant. "What I am, I remain, with help from my wife. I haven't started to float. I've had to work quite hard to get where I am, but I'll never forget where I came from."

Gloucestershire 235 (Dent 75, Roderick 74, Clarke 4-43) beat Surrey 88 (Smith 3-7, Liddle 3-17) by 147 runs

Chris Liddle and Tom Smith claimed three wickets each as Gloucestershire skittled Surrey for just 88 to win their opening Royal London One-Day Cup match at Bristol by 147 runs.

The home side were bowled out for 235 after winning the toss, having been 156 for one, with Chris Dent and Gareth Roderick the main contributors, while Rikki Clarke and Tom Curran shared seven wickets. It looked a below par total. But Surrey turned in a hapless batting display, Jason Roy top-scoring with 19 as they were bowled out in only 24 overs.

Liddle finished with 3 for 17 and left-arm spinner Smith 3 for 7 from two overs. Tightly as Gloucestershire bowled, it was an abject display by the visiting batting line-up.

The game was played in bright sunshine on a slow pitch. Surrey made a quick breakthrough when George Hankins chased a wide delivery from Clarke and edged through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

The best batting of the day followed as, having taken time to assess the pace of the pitch, Dent and Roderick played with increasing freedom. Skipper Dent was first to his half-century, off 62 balls, with four fours and a pulled six off Clarke, and Roderick soon followed, off 65 deliveries, having struck seven boundaries.

The pair were making batting look easy, Roderick having lofted Liam Plunkett over midwicket for six, when they fell in quick succession. Dent skied a catch to mid-on off Clarke to end a stand of 152 in 25 overs and the next over saw Roderick miscue to mid-off to give Curran his first wicket.

The collapse that followed was a major surprise. Soon Gloucestershire were 171 for 5, with Ian Cockbain bowled off stump by Gareth Batty and Jack Taylor stumped attempting to swing Will Jacks' offspin into the leg side. Benny Howell and Ryan Higgins added 43 for the sixth wicket before falling to Clarke and Curran respectively and there was little contribution from the tail as Gloucestershire were bowled out inside 48 overs.

Surrey looked strong favourites at halfway, but never recovered from losing Mark Stoneman to the third ball of their innings, bowled by Dan Worrall with a ball that nipped back off the seam. It was the start of a sorry procession, Liddle removing three of the top five in Roy, Rory Burns and Foakes, while Jacks, on 17, dislodged his leg bail attempting to pull Worrall as Surrey slumped to 61 for 5.

There was simply no resistance as Howell had Ollie Pope caught behind down the leg side for 13, Clarke was bowled by Higgins and Smith polished off the tail by sending back Curran, Batty and Plunkett in the space of 11 balls.

The speed with which the match ended caught everyone by surprise and Surrey - three times finalists in this competition between 2015 and 2017 - were left to reflect an opening group performance that was little short of embarrassing.

The numerous match-winners in the South African ODI side - right from the openers down to the No. 11 - provides the team a great chance to clinch their maiden World Cup title, according to pace bowler Dale Steyn.

Speaking to the media ahead of his first IPL 2019 match for Royal Challengers Bangalore in Kolkata, Steyn said, "I don't think South Africa have lost an ODI series in two and a half years [they've won 11 of their last 13 ODI series] but no one gives us a chance and then somebody does.

"We're going with good expectations. If you're not going to the World Cup expecting to win, then you probably shouldn't go. But I'm not going to lie, we have some fantastic players."

Three of them - Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir and Faf du Plessis - have been in excellent form for several months, including at the IPL, and Steyn hoped with their help and a bit of fortune, the World Cup could finally be theirs.

"We're led by Faf, whose been in fantastic form lately. And in the IPL, Imran Tahir has been right up there in terms of wickets. From Quinton de Kock all the way down to No. 11, they're all match-winners. We just need to go there and hope a bit of luck - weather, a missed no-ball - goes your way, and you could win the tournament.

"You look at KG [Rabada], he's been bowling exceptionally well. Kagiso is a wunderkind. Just hope he continues that kind of form. He's come on to the scene in international cricket and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. We've seen players come in, show signs of extreme excellence and then fade away, but KG is someone we can get used to."

Steyn also stressed that ODI rankings have little value once the World Cup begins. His belief is that only those who adapt earliest to the conditions in England will win the trophy.

"You just need to go there, figure out which teams are best adapting the conditions and then the team that hits the ground running first has the best chance."

When asked which other teams were favourites entering the competition Steyn said, "I think every team going to the World Cup has a massive chance. England are playing in England, and they're playing good some white-ball cricket.

"But I think you really need to take rankings and throw it out of the window. Rankings these days don't mean anything. I don't even know what ranking West Indies have, and they just beat England. Australia were losing, and then they've started winning again."

As for Steyn's mid-season IPL stint, he said that a call from Royal Challengers coach and fellow South African Gary Kirsten brought him to India. Despite being snubbed at the IPL auction in December 2018, Steyn said he holds no grudges, and that although Royal Challengers have lost seven of their first eight games, miracles are always possible in a tournament format like the IPL.

"It happened really quickly," Steyn said. "I got a call from Gary last week. He asked me have I been playing, have I been bowling, and I said yes. I was actually prepping to play our local T20 tournament. It can sometimes be difficult coming halfway through the IPL and the World Cup coming up, but we got through it, and here I am.

"I wasn't originally picked up for the IPL, but that's totally okay. Coaches have plans and structures, and if you're not in those plans you shouldn't take it personally. It's nothing personal, it's business. But to be honest with you, I just love playing cricket. Whether I was playing T20 cricket in South Africa or came here, I'd still be doing exactly the same thing. And when I have the ball in hand, I want to win for whoever I'm playing for.

"It's sometimes nice to join halfway through a tournament, because you bring in some injection of excitement. Obviously, the season hasn't gone how RCB have planned, but that's cricket. It's like fishing. They would call fishing as 'catching' if we caught fish all the time. We don't, and that's why it's called fishing. But it's a strange game. if we win our games, and hopefully the energy I bring in pays off, then anything can happen."

South Africa face England in the World Cup's opening fixture on May 30 at The Oval. They announce their 15-man World Cup squad on Wednesday.

WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm is expected to miss the 2019 WNBA season after rupturing her right Achilles tendon while playing in Europe, she announced on Twitter on Wednesday

Stewart, 24, playing for Russia-based Dynamo Kursk, was hurt Sunday in the EuroLeague Final Four championship game in Sopron, Hungary. She had an MRI on Monday in Los Angeles after flying back from Europe, and the results weren't reviewed by a physician until Wednesday.

"First off, I just want to thank you for the tremendous amount of love and support I've received over the past few days," Stewart said in her announcement. "The situation is still a shock to me. ... This year especially has been amazing and filled with lots of success and as we all know there are highs and lows throughout a career.

"This is just another obstacle that I will overcome. I'm thankful that I have so many people in my corner to help me every step of the way. I'm feeling every emotion possible at this point but just know that the bounce back will be real and I'll be back better than ever."

pic.twitter.com/0HpgWmM8w5

— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) April 17, 2019

Stewart will undergo surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. The Storm said Stewart is expected to make a full recovery for the start of the 2020 season.

"This is a tough time for Stewie and our hearts go out to her," Storm CEO Alisha Valavanis said in a statement. "The Storm family is behind her and we will support Stewie in every way we can as she begins her journey back to the court."

Stewart led the Storm to the franchise's third WNBA title last September and then helped the United States win the gold medal in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup later the same month. She was MVP for the WNBA Finals and the World Cup, and last month was named the EuroLeague's regular-season MVP as well.

Stewart also played for United States in the 2016 Olympics and is still expected to be a key part of the 2020 Olympic team. Generally, rehabilitation for an Achilles injury lasts nine months to a year.

WNBA great Tamika Catchings injured her Achilles on Sept. 3, 2007, and played in the 2008 Olympics and in 25 of the Indiana Fever's 34 games in that 2008 season.

Like most WNBA players, Stewart also competes overseas to maximize her income. Stewart made $56,793 in base salary last season with the Storm, earning bonuses of a $15,000 for being MVP, $11,025 for winning the WNBA title, $10,000 for being All-WNBA first team and $2,500 for being in the All-Star Game.

She was slated to make $64,538 this WNBA season in base salary.

While at UConn from 2012 to '16, Stewart won four NCAA titles and was named the Women's Final Four most outstanding player each time. She was part of two undefeated seasons with the Huskies, in 2013-14 and 2015-16, and finished her college career with 2,676 points, 1,179 rebounds and 414 blocked shots.

The 6-foot-4 Stewart, a native of Syracuse, New York, was drafted No. 1 by the Storm in April 2016 and was rookie of the year that season. Last season, her third in the league, she averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 blocked shots for the Storm during the regular season. Her scoring average went up during the playoffs, as she averaged 24.6 points. The Storm swept the Washington Mystics 3-0 in the WNBA Finals.

In her WNBA career, Stewart has averaged 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 blocks.

Stewart, who doesn't turn 25 until August, had missed only one game in her three seasons in the WNBA. She played her first two overseas seasons in China, then went to Russia for 2018-19. Stewart had a knee ligament injury while playing in China in January 2017, but it did not impact her WNBA season that year.

Stewart was hurt near the end of the first half Sunday as she went up for a jump shot and came down in considerable pain. She had to be helped off the court. Dynamo Kursk fell 91-67 to UMMC Ekaterinburg, which won its fifth EuroLeague title.

Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot led UMMC with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners.

UMMC Ekaterinburg and Dynamo Kursk will face each other again in a three-game series for the Russian League championship starting April 20. The WNBA season begins May 24.

The near yearlong schedule for many women's players has been a reality since the WNBA launched in 1997. Some top players, including the Mercury's Diana Taurasi and the Atlanta Dream's Angel McCoughtry, have taken a WNBA season off to rest. Generally, players are paid more overseas.

Stewart's likely absence for the 2019 season is a huge blow to the Storm, who hoped to become the first team to repeat as WNBA champion since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02. The Storm's previous titles were in 2004 and 2010; point guard Sue Bird, 38, has been part of all three Storm championship teams.

The Storm isn't the only WNBA squad that will be without a major star this season. The four-time champion Minnesota Lynx won't have 2014 MVP Maya Moore, like Stewart a UConn grad and former No. 1 draft pick (2011). Moore, 29, announced earlier this year that she was taking off the 2019 season to focus on her other interests and her family after eight seasons of playing in the WNBA and overseas.

The status of Dallas Wings center Liz Cambage is uncertain, as she has requested a trade and might not play if it doesn't happen. Cambage, an Australian who was the No. 2 pick behind Moore in 2011, returned to the WNBA last season after a four-year absence. She averaged a league-best 23.0 points per game, along with 9.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.