• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

N.Y. Liberty CEO: WNBA’s Breakout Year Fueled by Covid Bubble, Rookie Class

  • The Liberty are the top-seeded team heading into the WNBA playoffs.
  • Team CEO Keia Clarke tells FOS the league and team built the foundation for this breakout year back in 2020.
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Liberty are having an explosive year on and off the court, taking the No. 1 spot heading into the WNBA playoffs, averaging the second-highest attendance in the league, and gaining national attention for their effervescent mascot, Ellie the Elephant.

The way team CEO Keia Clarke sees it, the story of this year really began in the 2020 “Wubble” (WNBA bubble) season, shortly after the Liberty got new ownership in Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, who also own the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

That was finally the year the WNBA broke through to new fans, with average TV viewership increasing 68% from the year before. “It really was a bubble season during a crisis in the world and there was a captive audience,” Clarke said during an FOS in-studio interview in New York, “and that was really, well, duh, if you build it, they will watch.”

During that time is also when the Tsais started building on what Clarke describes as a “shoestring of a staff.” Clarke calls the Tsais “the best owners in this league, and maybe in all of women’s sports, in my opinion.”

The next season, the Liberty permanently moved to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This March, the team announced a new TV partnership with local broadcast network WNYW to reach a wider audience.

Then came the “match that lit the fire,” in Clarke’s words: this season’s rookie class. 

“Caitlin, no question. Angel, no question. We had been just begging for that crossover from the NCAA tournament to leak into the WNBA draft for many, many years,” Clarke says. “I’ve been involved in this league for nearly 19 years… a decade ago, we would host the draft in the same city as the Final Four at one point, and it just never took off. We needed the right mindset, time, and space. I truly believe we needed that graduality, that buildup, that lead-in for this moment to be what it is right now.”

Clarke says she’s proud of the in-game experience fans get when they come to a Liberty game, and she doesn’t mind whether they’re a longtime supporter, new WNBA fan, or cheering for an opposing player.

The crowd sizes are such that the Liberty opened up some portion of the upper seating at the Barclays Center for every home game this season, Clarke says. The team has an advantage over some others in the league like the Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics in that they always have the capacity for a full-sized arena at their disposal, should they sell enough tickets.

“Full arena sellouts every single night is the plan,” Clarke says, adding that her players say they count on the fan base to create the atmosphere they need.

The longtime Liberty staffer says it’s “validating” and “redemptive” to see new owners across sports finally realizing the long-term investment value in women’s sports, from the WNBA to the NWSL and beyond.

“[To] be a part of what will ultimately go down in history as a turning point in professional sports,” she says, “I’m so proud to say that I’ve been here in the WNBA doing just that.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

ESPN headquarters
exclusive

ESPN Editor Leaves for Ring Mag Amid Cristina Daglas Investigation

Elizabeth Baugh had been at ESPN for nearly a decade.
A view of the FanDuel Sportsbook betting area at Belterra Park Cincinnati.

FanDuel’s PE Backers Fire Back at Founder’s Legal Fight Over 2018 Sale

The legal dispute stems from the 2018 sale of 61% of FanDuel.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.

Money Talks, Dodgers Win: L.A.’s Historic Start Fuels Payroll Debate

A perfect 7–0 start combines with an unprecedented luxury-tax payroll.
Caledonian Braves
April 1, 2025

The Scottish Soccer Club With 9,000 Owners—Including NBA and NWSL Players

The Braves’ popularity exploded in the last 10 months.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Sacramento A's
April 1, 2025

A’s Sacramento Debut Beset by Logistical Problems

Monday saw broadcast issues, a drone delay, and a tight press setup.
March 31, 2025

Jets Offer Most Employees Buyouts

The team offered nearly 70% of its workforce severance packages.
March 31, 2025

NFL’s QB Market Shake-Up Puts Steelers in Unfamiliar Territory

Conversations are continuing with four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center.
March 28, 2025

Mark Cuban Says He ‘Fully Expected’ to Run Mavs After Selling Team

Cuban still owns about 27% of the Mavericks.