New York Liberty fans packed Barclays Center on Tuesday night as the team completed a first-round sweep of the Minnesota Lynx, becoming the first No. 8 seed in league history to advance to the semifinals.
More than 17,000 fans erupted in cheers as the starting lineup was introduced, creating an electric environment for New York’s only home game of the first round. The arena only got louder as the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Liberty secured their spot in the semifinals.
“The crowd was losing their minds [and] us on the bench, we were losing our minds too,” Liberty forward and guard Rebecca Allen said. “It’s an atmosphere you can’t not get caught up in. It’s so exciting… and I’ve never experienced something like that. Being the home team in this type of environment was truly special.”
Players fed off the fans’ energy and often looked to fire up the crowd after big plays. Barclays Center nearly shook when Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu nailed a fast-break 3-pointer to force a Minnesota timeout toward the end of the first half.
Arguably the most galvanizing moment came midway through the third quarter, when Liberty forward Breanna Stewart was hit in the face and was slow to get up. Stewart signaled to the fans as she rose from the ground and slowly approached the free-throw line, where she was met with roars of overwhelming support and “MVP” chants.
“[I’m] happy to have a loud playoff atmosphere back at Barclays,” Stewart said. “It continued to give us energy… [Players] need to be composed and under control, but we have our fans to be the ones that go crazy when things are going crazy.”
Fans in attendance were given a playoff-themed towel at the start of the game, which served as both a prop and a souvenir. When Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant began her famous “Ellie Wave” in the fourth quarter, a blanket of white draped over the arena as fans passionately waved their towels.
Numerous celebrities also came out to join the frenzied playoff atmosphere. Rapper Young M.A performed during the halftime show, while rapper Meek Mill was greeted by Stewart and Liberty forward Jonquel Jones after he sat courtside during the game.
“I didn’t even say [Meek Mill’s] name at first, I just went up to him like ‘hold up wait a minute!’” Jones said in reference to one of the rapper’s songs. “So that was cool… That’s one of the great things about playing in New York, it’s celebrity row and the fanbase and the city and all of the things that make this place a really special place.”
Last season, the Liberty similarly held a 1-0 lead before a home Game 2 and appeared to come out flat and overly confident en route to their first-round exit. That came one year after the Liberty captured their first WNBA championship in 2024, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in a five-game Finals series. This year’s performance, from both the team and the fans, redeemed Brooklyn.
New York’s next home playoff game will come in Game 3 of the semifinals against the Atlanta Dream on Friday, Oct. 9.
