- The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx to become first-time WNBA champions.
- The final capped off a record year for the WNBA as attendance and viewership soared.
- On Thursday, the team celebrated with a jubilant parade through Lower Manhattan.
The New York Liberty celebrated their WNBA championship victory with a parade through Manhattan’s Financial District on Thursday in a picture-perfect conclusion to a record-shattering season.
On Sunday, the Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime of game five of the WNBA finals to bring home the team’s first-ever championship.
Liberty star and two-time league MVP Breanna Stewart told reporters after the game, “I’ve been manifesting this moment for a while. There’s no feeling like it.”
She added, “To bring a championship to New York — first ever in franchise history — it’s an incredible feeling, and I literally can’t wait to continue to celebrate with the city.”
Four days later, that celebration came. With city favorites like Ja Rule’s “New York” blasting down Broadway, the team celebrated its victory with a ticker-tape parade in Lower Manhattan.
From the drafting of powerhouse rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the 2024 WNBA season was destined to be different.
When the season kicked off in May, the Associated Press reported that the New York Liberty had become the first team to have more than $2 million in ticket revenue for a single game.
Sports Illustrated, citing data from Sportico, reported in June that the Liberty was the third-highest valued in the league, worth $130 million, and brought in the most revenue in 2023 at $18 million.
It didn’t stop there. In September, the WNBA reported the 2024 regular season had the highest attendance the league’s seen in 22 years, with more than 2.3 million fans in attendance, a 48% increase from last season.
Viewership was up, too, with an average of 1.19 million viewers — a 170% increase from last season — making it the most-watched WNBA regular season on ESPN in history. Game five of the finals saw a record peak of 3.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
And the league has no intention of slowing down. On October 21, the WNBA players’ union, the WNBPA, opted out of its collective bargaining agreement.
“Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks — it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come,” said WNBPA president and nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike.
But before fans start thinking about how next season may look, here are the best moments from the Liberty’s celebration.
Read the full article here
