The New York Liberty is an American professional basketball team based in Brooklyn, New York City, which plays in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1997 and is one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Joe Tsai, the majority owner of the Brooklyn Nets. The team's home games are played at Barclays Center.
The Liberty have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in fifteen of its twenty-four years. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Becky Hammon, Leilani Mitchell, Essence Carson, Cappie Pondexter, Tina Charles, and the team's first-ever No.1 overall Draft pick Sabrina Ionescu. The Liberty have four conference championships and have played in the WNBA Finals four times, falling to the Houston Comets in 1997, 1999, and 2000, and losing to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.
The WNBA’s momentum just hit another gear. The league’s 13 teams are now worth a combined $3.5 billion — a 180% jump from 2024, marking the biggest year-over-year spike for any major sports league. Leading the charge? The expansion Golden State Valkyries, per Sportico.
On this day 28 years ago, the WNBA started their inaugural season with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the New York Liberty 🏀 Penny Toler scored the first two points in WNBA history while wearing the Nike Air Max Uptempo 👟 The Liberty were showcasing their star Rebecca Lobo against LA native Lisa Leslie with both players scoring 16 points each 🔥 New York won the game 67-57 in front of a sold out crowd at The Forum. It’s great to see the League thriving more than ever in 2024 📈
The New York Liberty are now the most valuable team in the WNBA, valued at $400 million after a recent minority stake sale. It’s the highest valuation ever for a women’s sports franchise anywhere in the world. League-wide, business is booming. Attendance hit 2.4 million in 2024, a 48% jump from the year before, and more than 54 million unique viewers tuned in to national broadcasts. Average team valuations are now $272 million, with every franchise worth at least $190 million. It’s a clear signal that the WNBA’s momentum is translating into real financial growth. (via Forbes)
The New York Liberty have added a powerhouse group of new investors led by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and author and finance exec Karen Finerman, along with Thasunda Brown Duckett, Karlie Kloss, Gabrielle Rubenstein, and Samantha Lasry. It comes after the team sold a minority stake at a record $450 million valuation, the highest ever for a women’s sports franchise. The group’s investment will help fund a new practice facility in Greenpoint, pending WNBA approval. Fresh off a 32-8 season and their first WNBA title, the Liberty are building something big with even more momentum behind them.
NEWS: The New York Liberty have sold a minority stake at a $450M valuation—the highest ever for a women’s sports team. That’s more than 30x what Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai & Clara Wu Tsai paid for the team in 2019. The deal is expected to cover 10%-20% of the club, though exact terms haven’t been disclosed. The Tsais also own the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center through BSE Global. WNBA team values are rising fast, and the Liberty are leading the way. They were valued at $130 million just last year. Since then, the league has signed a media rights deal worth six times the previous one, and expansion interest has taken off. The Liberty won their first WNBA title in 2024 and are building an $80 million practice facility in Brooklyn, set to open in 2027.