Who doesn’t love a parade? An unhinged New York Liberty team, their coaches, front office and beloved mascot boarded a decorated bus and paraded down Broadway Thursday morning to mark the team’s first-ever championship parade. Onlookers take in everything in sight, setting their sights on Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and others making history in freedom goddess. It was the first time a New York team had held a ribbon parade since the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012, and the city came out to experience it for themselves.
A large part of the crowd consisted of young girls, who rejoiced in their absence, accompanied by their fathers who did not hesitate to take them into town. Multiplication tables and social studies would have to wait another day. “Don’t let the school system get us in trouble,” one parent pleaded. On Thursday, it’s all about freedom. The Liberty finished the regular season with an impressive 32-8 record for the second consecutive season, but unlike last year, this time they got the deal done. The Atlanta Dream swept their opponents in the first round and set up a semifinal rematch with the Las Vegas Aces, who defeated New York in 2023 to capture the trophy. With the joint efforts of the whole team, the Liberty team defeated the Devils in the desert and defeated the Aces in four games.
The final stretch — a classic five-game death game against the Minnesota Lynx — proved to be a tougher task than most fans expected. But when the buzzer sounded in Game 5 and confetti fell from the rafters at Barclays Center, the Liberty was officially done. Three prepubescent sisters gleefully told me that they could stay up late to watch the Liberty bring it home while their fathers proudly looked on. “I think sports bring out the best in everyone,” Dad said. It’s great to see women and have positive role models for girls.
