New York Liberty WNBA History: From the Inaugural Season to a Championship
The New York Liberty are one of the original franchises of the WNBA and one of the league’s most recognizable teams. The Liberty were one of eight charter franchises when the WNBA began in 1997. They reached the league’s first WNBA Finals that year and came painfully close to becoming the league’s first champion. For more than two decades, New York repeatedly came close but could not win the championship.
That changed in 2024.
Led by Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx in a dramatic five-game WNBA Finals to win the first championship in franchise history. Jones was named Finals MVP.
The Liberty’s history includes Hall of Fame players, legendary coaches, heartbreaking Finals defeats, spectacular draft choices, major free-agent acquisitions and one of the most famous shots in WNBA history.
The Birth of the New York Liberty
The Liberty were selected as one of the WNBA’s eight original franchises on October 30, 1996. The first Liberty players were Rebecca Lobo and Teresa Weatherspoon, who were assigned to New York in the league’s first player allocation.
The franchise then selected Kym Hampton and Vickie Johnson in the 1997 Elite Draft and Sue Wicks in the inaugural WNBA Draft.
New York’s first head coach was Nancy Darsch.
The Liberty played their first game on June 21, 1997, defeating the Los Angeles Sparks 67–57. They finished their first season 17–11 and reached the inaugural WNBA Finals against the Houston Comets. The Liberty lost that championship game, but New York had immediately established itself as one of the league’s premier franchises.
Liberty Owership History
Because the WNBA originally operated largely through NBA-affiliated ownership, the Liberty’s ownership history is closely connected to the New York Knicks.
1997–2009: Cablevision
The Liberty were originally operated by Cablevision, which owned the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden organization. Cablevision’s ownership era covered the Liberty’s formative years and the team’s first four WNBA Finals appearances.
2010–2019: Madison Square Garden Company
After the corporate separation of Madison Square Garden from Cablevision, the Liberty came under the Madison Square Garden Company. MSG remained the team’s owner until the franchise was sold in 2019.
2019–Present: Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai
On January 23, 2019, the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the Liberty to an entity owned by Joe Tsai and his family. The Tsai family also became associated with the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. The sale represented a major turning point for the Liberty organization. The Liberty are currently owned by Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai. Under their ownership, the Liberty moved permanently to Brooklyn, substantially increased organizational investment and eventually won the franchise’s first championship.
Every Liberty Home Arena
The Liberty have played in several different venues during their history.
Madison Square Garden — 1997–2010
For much of their first 14 seasons, the Liberty played at Madison Square Garden. MSG was an enormous advantage for the franchise in its early years. The Liberty drew some of the largest crowds in the WNBA and developed a passionate New York fan base. The 1997 Liberty averaged 13,270 fans per home game.
Radio City Music Hall — 2004
The Liberty played a special home game at Radio City Music Hall in 2004. It was one of the most unusual home venues in WNBA history.
Arthur Ashe Stadium — 2008 The Liberty also played a game at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens in 2008.
Prudential Center — 2011–2013
After leaving Madison Square Garden, the Liberty played home games at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This was an unusual period because the team remained known as New York Liberty while playing its home games outside New York City.
Madison Square Garden — 2014–2017
The Liberty returned to Madison Square Garden for another period from 2014 through 2017.
This gave the franchise another opportunity to play in the building that had been central to its identity since 1997.
Westchester County Center — 2018–2019
The Liberty moved to the Westchester County Center in White Plains for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The smaller building was a dramatic contrast to Madison Square Garden.
The Liberty played their final full season there in 2019, although they also played selected games at Barclays Center.
IMG Academy — 2020
The 2020 season was played entirely at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, because the WNBA conducted the season in a single-site environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barclays Center — 2021–Present
The Liberty moved permanently to Barclays Center in Brooklyn beginning in 2021.
The move returned the franchise to a major NBA-quality arena and placed the team in the same building as the Brooklyn Nets. The Tsai ownership group was instrumental in making the move happen.
The Great Early Liberty Teams
The Liberty immediately became a contender.
1997: The First WNBA Finals
The Liberty went 17–11 and reached the first WNBA Finals.
They lost to the Houston Comets.
Nevertheless, reaching the championship game in the league’s first season established the Liberty as one of the WNBA’s founding powers.
: The Great Early Liberty Teams
The 1999 Liberty may be the most memorable team in franchise history before the championship era.
New York went 18–14 and won its first Eastern Conference championship. The Liberty faced the Houston Comets in the WNBA Finals.
New York lost the series 2–1.
But Game 2 produced one of the most famous moments in WNBA history.
With the Liberty trailing Houston, Teresa Weatherspoon launched a half-court shot at the buzzer.
It went in.
The Liberty won the game and forced a deciding third game.
The WNBA’s own history describes it as the most famous shot in league history.
Houston eventually won the championship.
But Weatherspoon’s shot became immortal.
2000: Another Finals Appearance
The Liberty returned to the Finals in 2000.
Once again, Houston defeated New York.
The Liberty therefore had reached the WNBA Finals three times in the league’s first four seasons:
1997
1999
2000
But they had no championship.
2002: The Fourth Finals Appearance
New York returned to the WNBA Finals in 2002.
The Liberty defeated the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics during the Eastern Conference playoffs.
They then faced the Los Angeles Sparks.
Los Angeles won the championship series 2–0.
The Liberty had now appeared in four WNBA Finals without winning a title.
The Long Wait
After 2002, the Liberty went through several different eras.
They remained competitive, but the franchise could not return to the Finals for more than 20 years.
Among the major players during this period were:
Becky Hammon, Tari Phillips, Vickie Johnson, Crystal Robinson, Cappie Pondexter, Tina Charles, Leilani Mitchell Sugar Rodgers, and The Tina Charles Era
The team continued to produce excellent players, but the championship remained elusive.
The Cappie Pondexter Era
One of the Liberty’s most important acquisitions came in 2010. New York acquired Cappie Pondexter from Phoenix. Pondexter immediately became the team’s offensive centerpiece. In 2010 she was: WNBA All-Star
Cappie Pondexter
All-Defensive First Team
She averaged 21.4 points and 4.8 assists per game.
The 2010 Liberty won 22 games and reached the playoffs.
Pondexter became one of the greatest scorers in franchise history.
The Tina Charles Era
New York acquired Tina Charles in 2014.
Charles had already won the 2012 WNBA MVP award with Connecticut before joining New York.
Her six seasons with the Liberty were among the most productive individual years in franchise history.
In 2016, Charles: Led the WNBA in scoring at 21.5 points per game. Led the league in rebounding at 9.9 per game: All-WNBA First Team
finished second in MVP voting
She became the third player in WNBA history to lead the league in both scoring and rebounding in the same season. Charles eventually became the Liberty’s all-time scoring leader.
The Liberty’s Award Winners
The Liberty have produced or employed numerous major individual award winners.
WNBA MVP
Breanna Stewart — 2023
Stewart became the first player in Liberty history to win the WNBA regular-season MVP award.
She averaged 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 2023 and helped New York reach the Finals.
Jonquel Jones — 2021 MVP
Jones became a Liberty player in 2023, but her MVP came in 2021 while she was with Connecticut.
Therefore:
Liberty players who have won the WNBA MVP while playing for New York:
Breanna Stewart — 2023
Former/current Liberty players who won MVP elsewhere:
Tina Charles — 2012, Connecticut
Jonquel Jones — 2021, Connecticut
Breanna Stewart — 2018, Seattle; 2023, New York
That distinction is important.
WNBA Finals MVP
Jonquel Jones — 2024
This is perhaps the most important individual award in Liberty history. Jones averaged 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds during the five-game Finals against Minnesota and was named Finals MVP. She helped New York win its first WNBA championship.
Defensive Player of the Year
Teresa Weatherspoon — 1997 and 1998
Weatherspoon won the first two WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.
She was the Liberty’s defensive leader during the franchise’s formative years.
Rookie of the Year
Michaela Onyenwere — 2021
Onyenwere became the first Liberty player to win WNBA Rookie of the Year.
She averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds and led all rookies in scoring average, field goals made and three-pointers made. She was selected sixth overall in the 2021 draft.
Kiah Stokes finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2015.
Most Improved Player
The Liberty have had several winners:
Tari Phillips — 2000
Phillips won the first WNBA Most Improved Player award.
Janel McCarville — 2007
McCarville became an important Liberty frontcourt player.
Leilani Mitchell — 2010
Mitchell’s outside shooting became an important part of the Liberty offense.
Kia Vaughn — 2011
Vaughn developed into a productive interior player.
Sixth Woman of the Year
Sugar Rodgers — 2017
Rodgers became the first Liberty player to win the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award. She came off the bench in 18 of 33 games and helped New York finish 22–12.
Coach of the Year
Bill Laimbeer — 2015
Laimbeer became the first Liberty coach to win the WNBA Coach of the Year award. He led New York to a 23–11 record and the Eastern Conference’s best record.
Other Major Liberty Award Accomplishments
The franchise has also produced:
Teresa Weatherspoon — multiple All-WNBA selections
Becky Hammon — All-WNBA Second Team
Cappie Pondexter — All-WNBA First Team
Tina Charles — multiple All-WNBA First Team selections
Breanna Stewart — 2023 MVP and multiple All-WNBA selections
Sabrina Ionescu — multiple All-WNBA selections
Jonquel Jones — 2024 Finals MVP
Sabrina Ionescu — multiple WNBA 3-Point Contest championships. Ionescu’s 2023 3-Point Contest performance was particularly historic. She scored 37 points in the final round, establishing a WNBA and NBA single-round record at the time.
The Liberty’s Best Drafts
1997 — Building the Original Team
The Liberty’s first draft was enormously important. New York acquired: Rebecca Lobo — player allocation
Teresa Weatherspoon — player allocation
Kym Hampton — No. 4
Vickie Johnson — No. 12
Sue Wicks — No. 6
Lobo and Weatherspoon became the faces of the original franchise.
Wicks eventually became one of the Liberty’s most respected players.
This was not simply a good draft.
It established the identity of the franchise.
1999 — Crystal Robinson
New York selected Crystal Robinson sixth overall. Robinson became a major contributor and an important long-term Liberty player. The Liberty also selected Michele Van Gorp in the second round. Robinson’s selection proved that New York could develop an important player outside the very top of the draft.
2006 — Cappie Pondexter
Pondexter was selected second overall by Phoenix in 2006, so she was not drafted by New York. However, New York eventually acquired her from Phoenix in 2010. Her arrival transformed the Liberty into an immediate contender. This is one of the best examples in franchise history of using a trade to acquire an established star rather than relying solely on the draft.
2020 — The Sabrina Ionescu Draft: This is probably the greatest draft in modern Liberty history.
New York had the No. 1 overall selection and selected:
Sabrina Ionescu — No. 1
The Liberty also had:
Megan Walker — No. 9
Jazmine Jones — No. 12
Kylee Shook — No. 13
Leaonna Odom — No. 15
Erica Ogwumike — No. 26
New York had six selections.
The No. 1 selection was the centerpiece.
Ionescu became a franchise cornerstone and one of the greatest perimeter players in Liberty history.
2021 — Michaela Onyenwere
New York selected Onyenwere sixth overall.
She immediately won Rookie of the Year.
She did not become a long-term Liberty star, eventually being traded to Phoenix in 2023, but her rookie season was outstanding.
This is a good example of why evaluating a draft requires separating the player’s performance for the team from the player’s eventual career.
2022 — Nyara Sabally
New York selected Nyara Sabally fifth overall. Injuries limited her availability, but she provided size and athleticism when healthy. She was part of the rebuilding process that preceded the Liberty’s championship era.
The 2023 Transformation
The Liberty’s 2023 roster construction changed the direction of the franchise.
New York acquired Jonquel Jones in a trade.
Then the team signed:
Breanna Stewart
Courtney Vandersloot
Stewart was a former MVP.
Jones was a former MVP.
Vandersloot was one of the greatest passing guards in WNBA history. General manager Jonathan Kolb became the first GM in WNBA history to acquire three All-Stars from the previous season, including two former MVPs, during the same offseason.
The result was immediate.
New York went 32–8, reached the WNBA Finals and won the Commissioner’s Cup.
2023 Commissioner’s Cup
The Liberty defeated the Las Vegas Aces to win the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup, the first Commissioner’s Cup championship in franchise history.
Jonquel Jones was named Commissioner’s Cup MVP after recording 16 points and 15 rebounds.
The Liberty had finally become a championship-caliber team.
But they still had one more obstacle.
The WNBA Finals.
2023 WNBA Finals
New York reached the Finals for the first time since 2002.
The opponent was the Las Vegas Aces.
Las Vegas won the series 3–1.
The loss was painful because the Liberty had built one of the strongest teams in franchise history. But the experience became the foundation for the following season.
2024: The Championship
The 2024 Liberty finished 32–8, the best regular-season record in franchise history at that time.
They defeated:
Atlanta Dream — First Round
Las Vegas Aces — Semifinals
Minnesota Lynx — Finals
The Finals went five games.
New York won the deciding game in overtime.
The Liberty were finally WNBA champions.
The 2024 Championship Game
The fifth game against Minnesota became one of the most dramatic championship games in WNBA history.
The game went to overtime.
New York eventually won and claimed its first championship.
Jonquel Jones was named Finals MVP.
After 27 seasons, four previous Finals defeats and years of rebuilding, the Liberty finally had their championship.
Players Traded Away Before Becoming Bigger Stars
The Liberty have had several interesting cases.
Becky Hammon
Hammon was an undrafted player who joined the Liberty in 1999. She became one of New York’s most popular players. In 2007, New York traded Hammon to San Antonio for Jessica Davenport and a future first-round pick.
Hammon went on to become an All-Star with San Antonio and later became a championship-winning WNBA coach with Las Vegas. Her departure remains one of the more significant “what if?” moments in Liberty history.
Tina Charles
This is a different case. Charles was already an established superstar when New York acquired her in 2014.
She had already won the 2012 MVP award with Connecticut.. She became one of the greatest players in Liberty history before being traded to Washington in 2020. Therefore, she does not really fit the “traded before becoming a star” category.
Cappie Pondexter
Pondexter was already a star when New York acquired her from Phoenix. Her trade therefore represents the opposite strategy: New York acquired a star rather than losing one before she developed.
Five Most Outstanding Liberty Players
There is no single official ranking of the five greatest Liberty players. The following group is based on franchise impact, longevity, awards, records, championships and historical significance.
1. Teresa Weatherspoon
Liberty career: 1997–2003
Weatherspoon was the heart of the original Liberty. She was: Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Multiple-time All-WNBA selection All-Star Team leader. Member of the Liberty Ring of Honor. And she hit the most famous shot in franchise history.
Greatest Liberty Play
The 1999 half-court buzzer-beater against Houston.
New York was facing elimination in Game 2 of the Finals. Weatherspoon took the inbounds pass and launched the ball from near half court. It went in. The Liberty won and forced a third game.
No other play better represents the early Liberty.
2. Rebecca Lobo
Liberty career: 1997–2001
Lobo was one of the original faces of the WNBA. She was assigned to New York before the first season and became one of the most recognizable women’s basketball players in America. In the Liberty’s first season she averaged:
12.4 points
7.3 rebounds
and started all 28 games. Greatest Liberty Play Lobo’s greatest contribution was not one single shot. It was helping establish the Liberty as a major professional sports franchise from Day One. She was a cornerstone of the original 1997 Finals team.
3. Cappie Pondexter
Liberty career: 2010–2014
Pondexter was the explosive scorer who carried the Liberty offense during one of the franchise’s strongest periods before the championship era. Her 2010 season was spectacular: 21.4 points per game, 4.8 assists per game. She made the All-WNBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team.
Greatest Liberty Play
Her best individual Liberty performance came in the 2010 playoff series against Atlanta, when she averaged 30 points per game in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York lost the series, but Pondexter demonstrated why she was one of the league’s elite offensive players.
4. Tina Charles
Liberty career: 2014–2019
Charles was one of the most statistically dominant players ever to wear a Liberty uniform. Her 2016 season was especially remarkable.
She led the league in:
Scoring — 21.5 PPG
Rebounding — 9.9 RPG
She was named All-WNBA First Team and finished second in MVP voting.
Greatest Liberty Play
The best representation of Charles’ Liberty career was her extraordinary 2016 season.
She carried an enormous offensive and rebounding workload while leading New York to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
5. Breanna Stewart
Liberty career: 2023–present
Stewart immediately changed the franchise. She joined New York as a former MVP and two-time WNBA champion. In her first Liberty season she won another MVP award. She then helped New York reach the Finals in 2023 and win the championship in 2024.
Greatest Liberty Play
One of Stewart’s defining Liberty moments came in 2023 when she hit a game-winning bank shot with 7.6 seconds remaining against Chicago.
She also scored a franchise-record 45 points against Indiana later that season.
Her greatest Liberty achievement, however, is winning the 2024 championship.
Honorable Mention: Sabrina Ionescu
Ionescu deserves special mention because she could eventually become one of the greatest players in franchise history.
She was the first No. 1 overall pick in Liberty history.
She has become the franchise’s premier three-point shooter and one of its most recognizable stars. Her 2023 season included a WNBA-record 128 made three-pointers, followed by her record-setting 37-point 3-Point Contest performance. She was also part of the championship team in 2024. The Most Outstanding Play in Liberty History.
If one play must be selected, it is unquestionably:
Teresa Weatherspoon’s Half-Court Shot — 1999 WNBA Finals
The Liberty were trailing the Houston Comets in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
With the game nearly over, Weatherspoon received the ball and launched a shot from near half court. Swish. New York won. The shot forced a deciding third game and became one of the defining images of the WNBA’s early years. The Liberty ultimately lost the series, but the shot became part of league history. It was not simply the greatest play in Liberty history. The WNBA itself has described it as the most famous shot in WNBA history.
The Most Important Coaches in Liberty History.
Nancy Darsch.
The first coach in franchise history.
She established the original Liberty and led them to the 1997 WNBA Finals.
Richie Adubato
Adubato coached the Liberty from 1999 through 2004.
He led New York to:
1999 Eastern Conference championship
2000 Eastern Conference championship
2002 Eastern Conference championship
Four WNBA Finals appearances
His 100–78 regular-season Liberty record remains one of the best coaching records in franchise history.
Bill Laimbeer
Laimbeer coached New York from 2013 through 2017.
He won the 2015 Coach of the Year award and built teams around stars including Cappie Pondexter and Tina Charles.
The 2015 Liberty won 23 games.
Sandy Brondello
Brondello took over in 2022.
Her arrival marked the beginning of the modern championship era.
She led New York to:
2023 Commissioner’s Cup
2023 WNBA Finals
2024 WNBA championship
Her Liberty regular-season record through the end of 2025 was 107–53.
Liberty Championships
WNBA Championships
2024 — New York Liberty
Defeated Minnesota Lynx 3–2.
Finals MVP: Jonquel Jones.
Eastern Conference Championships
The Liberty have won three Eastern Conference championships:
1999
2000
2002
They also reached the Finals in 1997 without winning the conference under the same playoff structure.
Commissioner’s Cup
The Liberty won the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup, defeating Las Vegas.
Commissioner’s Cup MVP: Jonquel Jones.
The Liberty’s Greatest “What If?” Players
The Liberty’s history contains several intriguing what-if stories.
Becky Hammon What if New York had kept Hammon after 2007?
She went on to become an All-Star in San Antonio and eventually a championship-winning coach.
Sabrina Ionescu’s early injury
Ionescu played only three games in her rookie season because of injury.
Her eventual development made the 2020 No. 1 selection one of the most important picks in franchise history.
The 2023 Finals
The Liberty had assembled a superteam and reached the Finals.
They lost to Las Vegas.
One year later, the same core finally won the championship.
From Heartbreak to a Championship
The Liberty’s history is unusual because the franchise experienced so much success before winning its first title.
New York reached the Finals in:
1997
1999
2000
2002
2023
2024
It took until the sixth Finals appearance to finally win the championship.
The franchise’s history can almost be divided into four eras:
1997–2002: The Original Contenders
Lobo, Weatherspoon, Hampton, Johnson, Wicks and later Tari Phillips established the Liberty.
2003–2012: The Transitional Years
The franchise remained competitive while developing and acquiring players such as Becky Hammon and Cappie Pondexter.
2013–2022: The Charles and Rebuilding Era
Tina Charles became the centerpiece before the organization underwent major changes, including new ownership and the move to Brooklyn.
2023–Present: The Championship Era
The combination of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, supported by Courtney Vandersloot and a deep roster, transformed the Liberty into a championship team.
The Legacy of the New York Liberty
The New York Liberty are one of the foundational franchises of the WNBA.
They were there on opening night in 1997.
They played in the first WNBA Finals.
They produced Teresa Weatherspoon’s legendary half-court shot.
They endured four early Finals defeats.
They played at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Prudential Center, Westchester County Center and Barclays Center.
They went through multiple ownership changes.
They survived a period when they played outside New York City.
They rebuilt.
They drafted Sabrina Ionescu.
They signed Breanna Stewart.
They acquired Jonquel Jones.
And finally, in 2024, the Liberty became WNBA champions.
The championship was more than a trophy.
It completed a story that had begun 27 years earlier.
From Rebecca Lobo and Teresa Weatherspoon to Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, the New York Liberty have been one of the defining franchises of the WNBA.
The wait was long.
The Finals losses were many.
But in 2024, the New York Liberty finally became champions.
If you’d like, I can next do the New York Liberty’s complete season-by-season history from 1997 through 2026, including every record, playoff result, coach, leading scorer, draft pick and major trade.
Artie Fischal
