Breanna Stewart’s Golden Journey to Motherhood

“I went from one emotion to the next,” the W.N.B.A. star said. “From winning a gold medal to realizing, OK, I’m going home, and my daughter is going to be born in less than 24 hours.”

Breanna Stewart is ready to tell her secret. She kept it for months: During the first half of the current W.N.B.A. season, as captain of the Seattle Storm; in Tokyo this month, as she led the United States to Olympic gold in women’s basketball. Only a few close friends, which included a pair of teammates, knew of her and her wife’s private joy.