• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

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

WNBA Proposes 30-Day Extension on CBA Negotiations

The CBA expires Oct. 31; a deal is not expected by then.
Napheesa Collier

WNBA, Players Remain Far Apart With CBA Deadline Days Away 

A union lawyer says a deal will not be reached by Friday.
Alexis Ohanian

Alexis Ohanian: Angel City Ownership Setup Was a ‘Terrible Idea’

He admits that the NWSL club’s governance was a disaster.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Oct 23, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Enterprise Center

Cooley Signing Adds to Utah’s Pursuit of Early NHL Success

In its second season, Utah is committed to winning as fast as possible.
October 26, 2025

Blue Jays’ World Series Run Is Just Part of Rogers’ Big Sports..

Buying more MLSE equity and a recapitalization of sports assets are planned.
October 27, 2025

Dodgers Depth, Blue Jays Glue Guys Are Defining the World Series

Yamamoto, Smith, and Glasnow are playing key roles for MLB’s top spenders.
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
Fred Warner
October 25, 2025

Most of the 49ers’ Record Cap Number Isn’t on the Field

The 49ers are winning despite ranking 31st on spending on active players.
Oct 23, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Signage in place on the dug out before game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
October 24, 2025

World Series Viewership Will Be Different This Year

The Canadian presence in the World Series creates a unique viewership situation.
Tom Dundon
exclusive
October 22, 2025

Sale of Trail Blazers to Tom Dundon Will Take Multiple Years to..

Dundon is buying the team at a $4.25 billion valuation.
October 18, 2025

Financial Behemoth Dodgers Win NL Pennant, Eye History

The biggest spenders would be MLB’s first repeat champion in 25 years.