Sabrina Ionescu releases the emotions of 28 years of waiting for the New York Liberty’s first WNBA title in Downtown Brooklyn Sunday. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
Okay, so the parade won’t be along Flatbush Avenue.
The Canyon of Heroes isn’t such a bad alternative for a franchise that has been waiting 28 years to call itself the best in the WNBA.
“I’ve been manifesting this moment for awhile, There’s no feeling like it,” said Liberty forward Breanna Stewart in the immediate aftermath of Sunday night’s 67-62 Game 5 overtime victory over the Minnesota Lynx before a record-setting crowd of 18,090 at Barclays Center.
Established during the league’s inaugural 1997 season and fruitless in its first five trips to the WNBA Finals, New York can finally hoist the trophy as champions of the best women’s basketball league on the planet.
And the Liberty did it right here in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn.
Albeit with plenty of spine-tingling moments due to the Lynx’ determination to spoil the party on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.
“Credit to Minnesota, they gave us a tough series,” Stewart ceded after grabbing her third WNBA crown and first here after capturing two titles and Finals Most Valuable Player awards in Seattle.
Though she and fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu endured a brutal shooting night, going a combined 5-for-34 from the floor, Stewart and company finally washed away the bad taste of last year’s Finals loss to Las Vegas.
They did it in front of a raucous fan base that has swelled exponentially in anticipation of this crowning achievement during the five years since the Liberty relocated to Brooklyn.
“The fans have been amazing everywhere we’ve gone,” gushed Stewart.
“To bring a championship to New York, first-ever in franchise history, it’s an incredible feeling. I can’t wait to continue to celebrate with the city. It’s going to be bonkers.”
It should be even more so on Thursday.
The Liberty will…
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