WNBA legend Lisa Leslie reacts to Liberty's first championship
10/21/2024 10:23 AM
The New York Liberty’s first WNBA championship has everyone going crazy about what the team accomplished, especially WNBA Hall-of-Famer Lisa Leslie. She took to X and shared her thoughts about the franchise securing its first title.
“Congratulations to the @nyliberty and its amazing fans!!! @breannastewart you did it with an amazing team effort #CongratsEllie.”
Leslie understands the grind of being a champion. She won back-to-back titles with the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. Also, this was during the Houston Comets dynasty of winning the first four championships in the league. Leslie had a great career in her own right, winning three MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year trophies, and two Finals MVPs.
Since she’s retired, Leslie has been one of the top supporters of the WNBA. She loves promoting players, especially the rookies. For example, Leslie advocated for Caitlin Clark once she got into the league. Her constant support of the league and its players is one the fans admire.
Lisa Leslie understands the Liberty’s road to their first championship
The Liberty endured years of hardship and heartbreak on their quests for a WNBA championship. Within the first six years of the league’s inception, they lost four Finals, three of which to the Comets, and then the fourth loss to Leslie and the Sparks. Even with franchise guard Teresa Weatherspoon, they were never able to get over the championship barricade.
Luckily for them, they rebuilt years later by drafting Sabrina Ionescu first overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft. After two seasons of a promising rebuild, the Liberty signed Breanna Stewart in the 2023 free agency. Following a disappointing Finals loss to the Las Vegas Aces, they ran it back. Stewart kept the Liberty core intact by signing a less-than-maximum contract extension during that offseason.
Safe to say that Stewart’s gamble paid off. New York went 32-8 in the regular season and dominated in the playoffs. They went 8-3, a similar record to the Phoenix Mercury during their 2014 title run. After all, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello compared the two teams to each other during the regular season.
While the 2024 Finals battle between the Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx was intense, New York ultimately persevered. It was the top two teams squaring off against each other. Stewart scored in double-figures throughout the playoffs. She even scored 20+ in Games 3 and 4.
It wasn’t just Stewart though. Ionescu iced Game 3 with a crazy shot. Jonquel Jones dominated the interior, and rookie Leonie Fiebich was a threat from the outside. Leslie knows the perseverance, grit, and tenacity associated with winning a title.
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