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… Continue reading New York Liberty WNBA History
