The Brooklyn Nets are fast approaching the start of the 2024-25 season. However, their WNBA counterpart New York Liberty finished their 2024 campaign on Sunday with a thrilling championship series win over the Minnesota Lynx. The Liberty faced a win-or-go-home situation in Game 5 on Sunday and rallied from 12 down to win their first franchise title. Of course, it took a village for New York to finally achieve the feat, and co-owner Clara Tsai spoke about the journey after the incredible series.
“When we bought the team four years ago, they were playing at Westchester County Center to a crowd of 2000. And the first thing we wanted to do was bring the team to Barclays Center so that they could have a bigger stage. And then we wanted to give them facilities and performance and nutrition and everything that they deserved, because they’re such elite professional athletes," Tsai said after Sunday's game, via ESPN's broadcast.
The Liberty have come a long way, and Claire and Joe Tsai have been adamant about investing in the team so it could reach its full potential.
After coming up short in the 2023 WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces, the Liberty entered the 2024 season on a mission. Led by former MVP Breanna Stewart, All-WNBA guard Sabrina Ionescu, All-Star Jonquel Jones, and a host of other stout contributors, New York finished 2024 with the league's best record and fought through numerous challenges to win the organization's first championship.
Jones won the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP award after averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds on 50/40/90 shooting splits as she entered Game 5 on Sunday. She finished New York's final 67-62 victory with 17 points and six rebounds.
The Liberty's performance has been impressive. It should not be too long before fans see the Nets bring a championship trophy back to the borough as well.
Nets look to recreate Liberty championship feat in near future
As Clara Tsai mentioned, she and her husband Joe are committed to investing in their teams to help the athletes be their best professional selves. The Nets do not have the same caliber of star talent the Liberty have, but they possess plentiful resources to compete at the highest level.
Perhaps Brooklyn will be motivated by the Liberty's incredible feat as they move forward in their rebuild. One day, Nets fans will see a similar scene that was displayed at Barclay's Center on Sunday night: confetti and heartfelt admissions after a championship in the borough.