Liberty ride WNBA boom into playoffs

NEW YORK (AFP) — Five years ago, the New York Liberty were used to playing games in a deserted, 2,100-capacity arena out in the suburbs, a world away from the bright lights of the Big Apple.

But when the star-studded Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team steps out at a packed Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday they will do so as one of the hottest tickets in town, as surging interest in women’s basketball this season ushers in a new era for the sport.

“I go to a lot of sporting events, and nothing beats the energy here,” longtime Liberty season ticket holder Lolita Beckwith told AFP.

Beckwith, a professional photographer, has been following the team since the WNBA was launched in 1997.

Her 27-year allegiance to the Liberty has encompassed the team’s early days, when they played games at the legendary Madison Square Garden, to the bleak era when the team was exiled to the suburban city of White Plains, closer to Connecticut than Brooklyn.

“It’s just great because for 27 years, it was looked down upon,” Beckwith said as she reflected on a sea of green-shirted Liberty fans thronging the arena.

“No one watched, there weren’t many fans. It was mostly women and kids. So, to see it become what it is now is just absolutely amazing,” she added.

“I wish I had a daughter so I could bring her to the games.”

While the Liberty’s success on the court has undoubtedly boosted the team’s appeal, the jump in crowd sizes are part of a broader trend in a league that has enjoyed skyrocketing interest since the arrival of rookie phenomenon Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Fever star Clark has taken the WNBA by storm this year after a record-breaking US collegiate career.

This season the Liberty have rewarded the loyalty of fans such as Beckwith with the best regular season in the franchise’s history.

The team, spearheaded by the likes of Olympic gold medalists Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, finished top of the WNBA’s Eastern Conference with 32 wins and only eight defeats.

With the playoffs under way, the team is perfectly positioned to end its long wait for a first ever WNBA championship.

On Sunday, the Liberty demolished the Atlanta Dream, 83-69, in Game 1 of their opening playoff series.

“To have the crowd that we had here definitely made it a lot easier,” US Olympic team star Stewart said after the win.