The New York Liberty is an American professional basketball team of the Eastern Conference that competes in the WNBA. As of October 2024, the team is owned by Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, who are also the majority owners of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. The Liberty plays its home game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and its mascot is Ellie The Elephant. Notable players who have played for them include Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Becky Hammon, and many others. The franchise is among the eight original franchises of the WNBA and was founded in 1997.
The team's jersey colors are seafoam green, black, and white. Prominent current players include Breanna Mackenzie Stewart, Sabrina Elaine Ionescu, and Nyara Sabally, among others. The Liberty has a record of 482 wins, 452 losses, and a 0.516 winning percentage in the WNBA regular season as of October 2024.
How many times has the New York Liberty made the playoffs?
The New York Liberty has qualified for nineteen WNBA playoffs in its twenty-eight years history. As of October 2024, the team has missed the playoffs nine times. The Liberty has appeared in six WNBA Finals and won one WNBA championship in 2024.
The team made its first WNBA playoff appearance in 1997, its debut season, under head coach Nancy Darsch. In the 1997 WNBA Draft, the Liberty was the first team to select a player and picked Rebecca Lobo, as their first pick of the franchise. They won their first playoff semifinal against the Phoenix Mercury with a record of 1-0 but lost to the Housten Comets in the finals with a record of 0-1. In 1999, the franchise added Crystal Robinson, and Richard Adam Adubato was appointed as the new head coach. In the early 2000s, the team signed players like Tari Phillips, Susan Joy Wicks, Rebecca Lynn Hammon, Ann Wauters, and many others.
New York Liberty's Playoff Record
The New York Liberty has an overall playoff record of 42 wins and 46 losses, as of October 2024. The team made its playoff debut in 1997 and then missed the 1998 WNBA playoffs. The team reached four consecutive playoffs from 1999 to 2002 before missing the 2003 WNBA playoffs. They made a comeback in the 2004 WNBA playoff again and won the semifinals against the Detroit Shock 2-1. The Liberty has qualified for the playoffs every year since 2021.
The team experienced a setback in the 2006 WNBA regular season, winning only 11 matches and losing 23, which kept them out of the playoffs under head coach Pat Coyle. However, the Liberty made it to the playoffs in the next two years. In 2015, the Liberty inducted Becky Hammon into the Liberty's Ring of Honor. In the 2020 WNBA draft, the Liberty won the lottery and signed several key players, including Sabrina Elaine Ionescu, Megan Walker, Jazmine Jones, Leaonna Odom, and three more, but despite these additions, the team missed the playoffs that year, winning only 2 games and losing 20 in the WNBA regular season in 2020. They signed Breanna Mackenzie Stewart and Jonquel Orthea Jones in 2023.
New York Liberty's Conference Finals Wins
The New York Liberty has won three Eastern Conference championships in 1999, 2000, and 2002. They won their first conference by defeating the Charlotte Sting with a record of 2-1 in the finals. They secured their second and third win by defeating the Cleveland Rockers and the Washington Mystics, both with a record of 2-1 in 2000 and 2002, respectively. All the three conference finals victories were under head coach Richard Adam Adubato.
New York Liberty's Last Playoff Appearance
The New York Liberty's last playoff appearance was in 2024. They won the first round, defeating the Atlanta Dream with a record of 2–0, and the second round, defeating the two-time defending champions Las Vegas Aces with a record of 3–1 and advancing to the WNBA finals. In the 2024 WNBA finals, New York Liberty won the WNBA championship, beating the Minnesota Lynx with a record of 3–2, under head coach Sandra Anne Brondello.
FAQs on New York Liberty
A. 2024 is the last time the New York Liberty was in the WNBA Finals when they won the title.
A. Las Vegas Aces is the New York Liberty's greatest rival.
A. Yes, the New York Liberty has won a WNBA championship. They won their first championship in 2024.
A. New York Liberty won 42 playoff games as of October 2024.
A. Keia Clarke is the CEO of the New York Liberty.
