Michael Jordan's ex-wife Juanita Vanoy reacted to the viral dance moves of the New York Liberty mascot, Ellie the Elephant, at the team's championship celebration. Vanoy has been a big supporter of the WNBA and often watches the league's games in Chicago.
In an Instagram story, Vanoy shared the reel of Ellie the Elephant busting out her best dance moves on stage at the Liberty's championship parade.
New York won its first basketball title since the Knicks in 1973 after beating the Minnesota Lynx in five games.
"Champs," Vanoy wrote.
The New York Liberty held their championship parade on Thursday in front of thousands of fans. One of the highlights of the celebration was Ellie the Elephant stealing the show with her dance moves. The mascot is known for its flexibility on the dance floor.
Ellie began her routine by giving her back to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. She then started dancing before Kennedy Burke joined in as the crowd cheered. It took just three years since Joe and Clara Wu Tsai bought the team to win a championship.
Joe Tsai is also the owner of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA, although they are in a dire situation. The Nets began rebuilding after trading Mikal Bridges to the Knicks in the offseason. They are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league.
As for Juanita Vanoy, she's still based in Chicago and has been going to some Chicago Sky games. Vanoy has shared several snippets of watching Angel Reese at the Wintrust Arena.
Reese is one of the biggest stars in the WNBA, coming in second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Caitlin Clark.
What's next for the New York Liberty?
The New York Liberty went all in after getting new owners in 2021, making it to the WNBA Finals in back-to-back years and winning it in 2024. The Liberty just finished celebrating the title, but what's next for the defending champions?
They have several key free agents this offseason – Breanna Stewart, Rebekah Gardner, Marine Johannes, Courtney Vandersloot and Han Xu. Stewart will likely stay in New York fresh off winning her third WNBA championship.
Johannes and Xu are probably not in the team's plans, while Vandersloot could return if she doesn't demand a lot of money at age 36. Gardner did not play this season because of an injury, but she can carve out a role for the team as a shooter.
Another problem facing the Liberty is the upcoming expansion draft. They can only protect six players from the Golden State Valkyries.
These players are likely to be Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. The final slot could go to Nyara Sabally, who was a pivotal player in Game 5.
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