New York Liberty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New York Liberty |
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| Conference | Eastern | ||||
| Leagues | WNBA | ||||
| Founded | 1997 | ||||
| History | New York Liberty 1997–present |
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| Arena | Barclays Center | ||||
| Location | Brooklyn, New York | ||||
| Team colors | Seafoam green, black, white |
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| Main sponsor | Barclays | ||||
| CEO | Keia Clarke | ||||
| General manager | Jonathan Kolb | ||||
| Head coach | Sandy Brondello | ||||
| Assistant(s) | Olaf Lange Zach O'Brien Sonia Raman |
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| Ownership | Joseph Tsai & Clara Wu Tsai | ||||
| Championships | 1 (2024) | ||||
| Conference titles | 3 (1999, 2000, 2002) | ||||
| Commissioner's Cup titles | 1 (2023) | ||||
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The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team from Brooklyn, New York. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Liberty is part of the Eastern Conference. The team started in 1997, making it one of the league's first eight teams. Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai own the team. They also own the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. The Liberty play their home games at Barclays Center.
The Liberty have made it to the WNBA playoffs in 19 of their 28 years. Many famous players have been on the team. These include Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Becky Hammon, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones.
The Liberty have won three conference championships. They also won one WNBA championship in 2024. They have played in the WNBA Finals six times. They won against the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. They lost to the Houston Comets in 1997, 1999, and 2000. They also lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002 and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.
The New York Liberty introduced their mascot, Ellie the Elephant, in May 2021.
Contents
Team History and Success
Early Years: 1997 to 2002
When the WNBA began in 1997, the Liberty picked college star Rebecca Lobo. She played as a starter for two seasons. Later, Teresa Weatherspoon became a key player. The Liberty reached the 1997 championship game. They lost to the Houston Comets.
In 1999, the team added Crystal Robinson. They returned to the WNBA Finals. They played the Comets again. In one game, Teresa Weatherspoon made a half-court shot at the buzzer. This gave the Liberty a one-point win. But they still lost the series to the Comets.
In 2000, the Liberty got Tari Phillips. She became an All-Star player. In 2001, Weatherspoon became the WNBA's all-time assist leader. With players like Robinson, Phillips, and Sue Wicks, the Liberty went to the finals again in 2000 and 2002. They lost to the Comets and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Changes and New Players: 2003 to 2009
The 2003 season brought changes for the Liberty. Becky Hammon became a star player. In 2004, Hammon took over as the team's main point guard.
In 2004, the Liberty played some home games at Radio City Music Hall. This was because Madison Square Garden was busy. It was the first time Radio City hosted a pro sports event in many years.
The Liberty had a tough 2006 season. They won only 11 games. In 2007, they traded Becky Hammon. They got Jessica Davenport and Janel McCarville. The team started strong but then struggled. They still made the playoffs. They lost to the Detroit Shock in a close series.
In 2008, the Liberty drafted Essence Carson and signed Leilani Mitchell. Even with a young team, they won 19 games. They beat the Connecticut Sun in the playoffs. They almost reached the WNBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Shock. The 2008 season also had the "Liberty Outdoor Classic". This was the first outdoor pro basketball game. It was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In 2009, the team picked Kia Vaughn. The team struggled and fired head coach Pat Coyle. Anne Donovan took over as interim coach. The team finished with a 13–21 record.
The Cappie Pondexter Era: 2010 to 2014
The New York Liberty played better in 2010. Anne Donovan was the head coach. They had Cappie Pondexter, a new high-scoring player. Leilani Mitchell won the Most Improved Player Award. The team reached the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost to the Atlanta Dream.
In 2011, John Whisenant became the new head coach. The Liberty played at the Prudential Center in Newark. This was because Madison Square Garden was being renovated. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson helped the team compete. They made the playoffs but lost to the Indiana Fever.
Before the 2014 WNBA draft, the Liberty traded for Tina Charles. She was a WNBA All-Star. In 2015, Pondexter was traded to the Chicago Sky.
New Ownership and a Championship: 2015 to Present
In May 2015, Isiah Thomas became the team president. Under his leadership and coach Bill Laimbeer, the Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference in 2015. In August 2015, Becky Hammon was honored by the Liberty. She is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces.
The Liberty made the playoffs in 2016 and 2017. They lost in the second round both times. In 2018, the team played most home games in White Plains, New York. They had a tough season, winning only 7 games.
In January 2019, Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai bought the Liberty. Joseph Tsai is a co-founder of Alibaba Group. Isiah Thomas left his role a month later. In 2019, the Liberty played two games at the Barclays Center. By 2020, the Tsais moved the team to Brooklyn full-time.
The Liberty had many picks in the 2020 WNBA draft. They chose Sabrina Ionescu as the first pick overall. The team also got a new logo. It looked like the Statue of Liberty and used black, like the Brooklyn Nets. The 2020 season was played in a "bubble" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ionescu got injured early in the season. The team finished with a 2–20 record. But Jazmine Jones was named to the All-Rookie team.
In 2021, the Liberty added WNBA champions Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb. They also signed Betnijah Laney. The team drafted Michaela Onyenwere and DiDi Richards. Laney became an All-Star. Onyenwere won Rookie of the Year. The team improved and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They lost a close game to Phoenix.
In December 2021, the team hired Sandy Brondello as head coach. In 2022, the team started slowly. But the efforts of Ionescu and Howard helped them make the playoffs again. They won their first playoff game against the Chicago Sky but then lost the series.
In 2023, the Liberty made big moves. They got 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones and Kayla Thornton. They also signed Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot. The team won a record 32 games. They also won the Commissioner's Cup. Jones was named MVP. The Liberty reached the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2002. But they lost to the Las Vegas Aces.
In 2024, New York kept most of its main players. They re-signed Jones and Stewart. They also had a strong rookie in Leonie Fiebich. The Liberty again won 32 games, tying their record. They reached the Commissioner's Cup final but lost to the Minnesota Lynx. The 32 wins earned them the top spot in the playoffs. They swept the Atlanta Dream. Then they beat the Las Vegas Aces. The New York Liberty won their first WNBA Championship by beating the Minnesota Lynx in the 2024 WNBA Finals.
Team Records
| Season | Team | Conference | Regular season | Playoff results | Head coach | |||
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| W | L | Win % | ||||||
| New York Liberty | ||||||||
| Regular season | 482 | 452 | .516 | 3 conference championships | ||||
| Playoffs | 44 | 46 | .489 | 1 WNBA championships, 5 Losses | ||||
Key Statistics
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2000s
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2010s
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2020s
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Current Roster
Former Players of Note
- Tina Charles (2014–2019)
- Shameka Christon (2004–2009)
- Becky Hammon (1999–2006)
- Vickie Johnson (1997–2005)
- Rebecca Lobo (1997–2001)
- Janel McCarville (2007–2010)
- Leilani Mitchell (2008–2013)
- Tari Phillips (2000–2004)
- Cappie Pondexter (2010–2014)
- Crystal Robinson (1999–2005)
- Teresa Weatherspoon (1997–2003)
- Sue Wicks (1997–2002)
Honored Numbers
| New York Liberty honored numbers | |||
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure |
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| 11 | Teresa Weatherspoon | G | 1997–2003 |
Ring of Honor
Team Leadership
Owners
- Cablevision (1997–2009)
- Madison Square Garden, Inc. (2010–2019)
- Clara Wu Tsai & Joe Tsai (2019–present)
General Managers
- Carol Blazejowski (1996–2010)
- John Whisenant (2011–2012)
- Bill Laimbeer (2013–2014, 2017)
- Kristin Bernert (2015–2016)
- Jonathan Kolb (2019–present)
Head Coaches
| New York Liberty head coaches | |||||||||||
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| Name | Start | End | Seasons | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||
| W | L | Win % | G | W | L | Win % | G | ||||
| Nancy Darsch | 1997 | 1998 | 2 | 35 | 23 | .603 | 58 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2 |
| Richie Adubato | 1998 | 2004 | 5 | 100 | 78 | .562 | 178 | 14 | 13 | .519 | 27 |
| Pat Coyle | 2004 | 2009 | 5 | 81 | 90 | .474 | 171 | 6 | 10 | .375 | 16 |
| Anne Donovan | 2009 | 2010 | 2 | 29 | 22 | .569 | 51 | 2 | 3 | .400 | 5 |
| John Whisenant | 2010 | 2012 | 2 | 34 | 34 | .500 | 68 | 1 | 4 | .200 | 5 |
| Bill Laimbeer | 2013 | 2017 | 5 | 92 | 78 | .541 | 170 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 8 |
| Katie Smith | 2018 | 2019 | 2 | 17 | 51 | .250 | 68 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
| Walt Hopkins | 2020 | 2021 | 2 | 14 | 40 | .259 | 54 | 0 | 1 | – | 0 |
| Sandy Brondello | 2022 | present | 3 | 80 | 36 | .690 | 116 | 15 | 9 | .625 | 24 |
Media Coverage
Since 2024, Liberty games are shown on WNYW and WWOR. In June 2024, the Liberty started their own streaming service called "Liberty Live." This is where fans can watch their games online.
Before this, games were on MSG Network and the YES Network. Chris Shearn and Julianne Viani are the broadcasters for the Liberty games. Some Liberty games are also shown nationally on channels like CBS, CBS Sports Network, Ion Television, ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC.
Images for kids
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Madison Square Garden during a Liberty game
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Madison Square Garden was home to the Liberty from 1997 until 2018, except for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons due to summer renovations.
See also
In Spanish: New York Liberty para niños
