How to jump on the Liberty bandwagon, because this is *really* their year

The New York Liberty are headed to the WNBA Finals, again, and I’m here at The New York Groove, again, to get you up to speed on why this year is really their year.

This past Sunday, the New York Liberty shut down defending champion Las Vegas Aces to clinch a spot in this year’s Finals. Not only did it feel fabulous to get revenge on the Aces for beating them in last year’s Finals, but the Liberty are heavily favored to win it all this year. 

Really, super favored check out these odds; and thank you sports betting for proving you don’t have to be athletic to excel in sports!

True bets aside, the Liberty have never looked better. With the same star power as 2023, championship hunger, and the support of the entire city, it’s looking like this is the year for the Libs. 

Let’s go in:

Before you start, isn’t there a lot going on for New York City sports already?
If I had to call this time of the year something, it would be Sports & The City, which is kind of like Sex and The City, but Carrie would have a closet full of Jordans. 

To answer your question, yes, it’s a fantastic time for NYC sports: the Mets and the Yankees are in postseason play. The NFL is back – no judgment to Giants or Jets fans.  

But in true NYC fashion, we go where Spike Lee goes, and that is to Barclays to support the Liberty. 

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I think I’d like to jump on the bandwagon.
Like the A train headed uptown during rush hour, yeah it’s packed in here, but we can make room for ya. If you haven’t already, check out my piece from last year giving you the New York Liberty team basic 101 run down (My love of self promotion almost runs as deep as my love for the Liberty). 

Wow, Liberty fans are so welcoming and inviting! That’s so different from Yanke-
Hey hey, no need to trash talk right now. Save it for the game!

So what’s the Libs’ deal this year?
Their deal is that it is their year.  After a solid 2023 season where they began navigating a squad with new additions Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot, they’ve got it figured out. 

They finished first in the league in the regular season and have rampaged through the playoffs. Fueled by last year’s Finals loss, the Libs are hungry. And a Finals win would be nice since the franchise has yet to clinch one.

Tell me about this lineup. 
Well, it started two years ago when the team rebuilt its roster through free agency with the goal of ousting the league-best Aces. Adding to this chemistry, coach Sandy Brondello switched up the starting lineup as the playoffs started, which obviously has paid off. 

Your starting five are:

• Leonie Fiebich, a rookie who was key in crushing the Aces on Sunday as she limited MVP A’ja Wilson to 21 points. Her defense and overall play earned her a spot on the All Rookie Team and scored her a runner up in the Sixth Woman Award.
• Sabrina Ionescu, fresh off a Gold medal win at this year’s Olympics in Paris and recently having New York City injected into her veins, the former first-overall draft pick continues to deliver as an elite player and leader while leader while regularly draining logo threes.

• Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, despite knee surgery in July, Laney-Hamilton is back on the floor serving as the hustle (and heart) the team needs in the clutch. Speaking of heart, Betnijah will always have mine.
• Jonquel Jones, not even her coach can stand in the way of Jones’ momentum this season. 
• Breanna Stewart, Where do I start? She’s already a two-time WNBA champion and Finals MVP and averages 20 points per game in the playoffs. She’s got a wingspan of 7 feet that aids in shutting down opponents and had a spot on this year’s All-Defensive First Team. 

That’s impressive. Say more.
Well, the Liberty went 32-8 in the regular season and only dropped one game in the postseason. Four players consistently score in double digits. They rank second in the league in both points and assists per game. To go along with their overall first place finish, they had the league's best offense and third-ranked defense.

Are you into these stats at all?

Yes, I love numbers.
Sweet. Guess I’ll mention here that this is the sixth WNBA Finals appearance in franchise history, and the second time the Liberty reached the Finals in consecutive seasons.

Why didn’t they win last year?
Why did Betnijah Laney-Hamilton get married and break my heart? Things just happen sometimes. 

To be honest, last year they just weren’t ready. They had star power, but had to learn to use it. Playing on the big stage was new. The Aces were already comfortable as a team and in the Finals limelight. They were simply a better team.  

So who are they playing?
The Liberty are up against the Minnesota Lynx. A team that is led by Defensive Player of the Year and MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier. They are young and new to postseason play, but the franchise itself won four championships between 2011 and 2017. 

The Lynx carry a 3-1 regular season record against the Liberty which includes a victory over the Liberty in the 2024 Commissioner's Cup (the annual in-season competition that awards prize money to the players and charitable partners). They finished right behind the first-place Liberty with a 30-10 regular season record,

That was five facts about the Minnesota Lynx. Here are five fun facts about regular lynx, because cats are cute.

A friend offered me a ticket to tonight’s game. Should I go?
Despite the nearly doubled pricing for season tickets, Liberty fans continue to pack Barclays, with about 12,000 in attendance each game. Tickets are still relatively affordable when compared to other NYC teams, for example, you can still find $49 seats (with fees) for tonight’s game in the last row of the second tier. Don’t worry, you will still be close enough for the t-shirt cannon to reach you!

And the dancing elephant … will she still be there?
You mean the league’s (and maybe all of sports') favorite mascot, Ellie the Elephant? Yes. She’s having her own championship year finding time to perform with Ciara or attend the US Glamour Women of the Year event. Whether it’s getting into dance battles with fans, rubbing elbows with celebs or just overall serving looks, you can bet Ellie will be there courtside, aiding in keeping the already hot crowd hype. 

I’d love to call out the slimdown and glow up Ellie underwent between last season and now, but hey, fame changes you. 

I heard Jason Sudeikis is on the team. That’s weird
Ok, Jason Sudeikis is technically not on the team. The Ted Lasso star, and my fellow Jayhawk, is so frequently at games he’s been dubbed the Spike Lee of the New York Liberty (the real Spike Lee likes the team now too). He’s even been pictured shooting around with Stewie in NYC. 

Sudeikis has been around so much women’s basketball, he’s basically a lesbian. I, for one, welcome him to the team. 🌈

Is it really that important they win? 
They need this. We need this. NYC needs this. The whole city is in the middle of a championship drought. We can’t have the greatest city in the world without celebrating being the greatest. 

It just seems as though everything is lined up for glory this time: an elite team, a record season, an epic mascot, a huge (and growing) devoted fanbase and history on the line. This story makes for a truly noteworthy future ESPN 30 for 30. And I’ll cry just as hard watching that as I do when the Liberty win this series. There’s no crying in baseball. In basketball, it’s fair game. They literally have people courtside whose job it is to mop the floor when you are done. 

Oh right. What about my friends that can’t make the game. Where can they watch?
The WNBA Finals air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC; and will stream on ESPN.com and the app. These options mean you can catch them at your favorite sports bar. You were gonna go in hungover on Friday anyway, so why not have some drinks and support women's sports. 

Any final words?
Yeah, Go Liberty! 

Follow Veronica: @veros_got_jokes.