WNBA star and local basketball standout Breanna Stewart has joined the ranks of women that have said "me too."

The Central New York native and UConn alumna, now a member of the WNBA's Seattle Storm, revealed that she was molested as a child in an essay she wrote for The Players Tribune.

Stewart says she was molested by a man at a relative's house where she would frequently spend the night. The abuse, she said, started when she was just nine years old. It went on for two years before Stewart finally spoke up to her parents, and she said her abuser was arrested.

She says she's sharing her story now so she can possibly save another life. Child advocates say it can be very hard for a child to speak up.

CNS girls basketball coach Eric Smith, Stewart's former basketball coach, said this is the first time he has heard Stewart's story.

Smith called Stewart a great student, person and teammate who blossomed into the complete package. He says she kept a lot in her life to herself, good and bad, and opening up to the world about something traumatic takes a lot of courage. 

"I've been proud of her and told her all along of all her baskeball accomplishments. but to break down to the basics of life and to open up your hear to not just one person but to the world takes huge strength," Smith said.

"It’s a very complicated issue for children," said Maureen Foran-Mocete of the McMahon / Ryan Child Advocacy Center. "They're told by offenders that this is OK, that they love them; this is where it gets complicated, because they know love and trust the people that are abusing them."

McMahon/Ryan officials say they are on track to see more than 700 abused children in their center this year.

If you or anyone you know has been abused, you're encouraged to reach out to local authorities or the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center at 315-701-2985.