NEW YORK — Confetti rained down and Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” echoed through the arena as the New York Liberty celebrated the conclusion of a 27-year journey.
The team, which faced numerous obstacles from its beginnings at Madison Square Garden to stops at Radio City Music Hall and Westchester County Center, finally achieved its long-awaited victory. The Liberty secured their first-ever championship with a thrilling 67-62 overtime win against the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night.
“I’ve been manifesting this moment for a while; there’s no feeling like it,” Breanna Stewart expressed. “Credit to Minnesota for giving us a tough series. The fans have been incredible wherever we’ve played. Bringing a championship to New York, the first in franchise history, is an amazing feeling. I can’t wait to keep celebrating with the city. It’s going to be wild.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a ticker tape parade to honor the Liberty and their historic win.
“From the start of the season to the final game, the New York Liberty aimed for one thing: winning. Tonight, they achieved a historic victory, making our city proud by becoming the champions for the first time in franchise history,” Adams stated. “At a moment when the rest of the country is recognizing the immense talent in our WNBA, we are proud to see our city bring home the trophy. Thank you to our WNBA champions for being a role model for our city and exemplifying the values of grit, determination, and hard work. We look forward to celebrating with you at the parade down the Canyon of Heroes!”
Adams is expected to provide further details about the parade on Monday and mentioned that City Hall and four other municipal buildings would light up in seafoam green that evening.
The Liberty triumphed over the Lynx to clinch the 2024 WNBA Finals. Jonquel Jones led New York with 17 points. The Liberty, one of the league’s original franchises, had previously reached the WNBA Finals five times, losing each time, including last season. This time, they were determined not to be denied, even though they required an additional five minutes of play.
With stars Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggling offensively, other players rose to the occasion. Leonie Fiebich kicked off overtime with a three-pointer, followed by Nyara Sabally, who made a steal and converted it into a layup, putting the Liberty ahead 65-60 and electrifying the sellout crowd.
“Whoever scores first in overtime usually wins,” noted Liberty coach Sandy Brondello.
Minnesota managed to score only two free throws in overtime, following a drought that saw them miss all six field goal attempts during that period. After Ionescu missed her 18th shot out of 19 attempts with just 21 seconds remaining, the Lynx had a final opportunity, but Bridget Carleton’s three-pointer was off the mark.
Stewart, who had faltered at the free-throw line in Game 1, secured the victory by hitting two free throws with 10.1 seconds left in the overtime period. As the clock wound down, players embraced and streamers cascaded from the rafters. Stewart and Jones, key free-agent additions from two years ago who played significant roles in the team’s first title, shared a warm hug.
New York was trailing by two points when Stewart was fouled with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. Following a video review, she calmly made two free throws to equalize the score at 60. Kayla McBride, who had 21 points, had an open look for a three-pointer but missed, forcing the game into overtime.
Many former Liberty legends were in attendance, including Teresa Weatherspoon, who famously hit a half-court shot in the 1999 WNBA Finals that forced a decisive Game 3. That marked the last time New York played in a championship-deciding game until this season.
Jones, the only player on the Liberty with prior experience in a Game 5 from her time with Connecticut in 2019, was named MVP. “I could never have dreamed of this. You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to achieve this here,” she said.
Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 22 points before fouling out with 13 seconds remaining in overtime. The Lynx were aiming for a record fifth WNBA title, which would have broken a tie with the Seattle Storm and Houston Comets. Minnesota’s previous championships came between 2011 and 2017, led by stars like Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus. This year marked their return to the WNBA Finals after a hiatus.
“Congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship,” said Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve. “It took them 28 years; congrats to them. We were so close to our fifth, but it just didn’t happen.”
This year’s WNBA Finals marked the first time since 2019 that the series went to the maximum number of games. Since the league adopted a best-of-five format in 2005, there have been seven other instances that reached a Game 5, with the home team winning five of them, including the last one in 2019.
The series concluded a record-setting season for the league, with all five games tightly contested and including two overtime games and a last-second shot, leading to outstanding television ratings. The first three games averaged over a million viewers, with audiences growing for each game, and attendance also reached new heights.
Liberty superfan Spike Lee was courtside well before the game, sporting an Ionescu jersey. After Ionescu finished her warm-up, the two shared a brief moment and hug. Lee was among the 18,090 fans who made up a sellout crowd, contributing to records for both overall attendance and average attendance in WNBA Finals history.