New York Liberty receives hero's welcome with ticker-tape parade for WNBA title!

New York, New York - The New York Liberty celebrated their first-ever WNBA championship title with an epic ticker-tape parade in Lower Manhattan, and TAG24 NEWS was live on the scene to catch all the action!

(From l. to r.) New York LIberty stars Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart received immense love from fans who flocked to the team's first-ever ticker-tape parade celebration.
(From l. to r.) New York LIberty stars Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart received immense love from fans who flocked to the team's first-ever ticker-tape parade celebration.  © Collage: TAG24 / Kelly Christ

Thursday's parade welcomed Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and many more as fans lined up on Broadway to get a glimpse of the team.

Empire State of Mind bumped through the speakers as confetti and sea-foam-green ribbons were thrown from the surrounding buildings.

Excited fans greeted the athletes – plus the team's beloved mascot, Ellie the Elephant – with raucous cheers.

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Stewart and MVP Jonquel Jones got particularly warm welcomes as they descended down the barricaded streets on their very own solo floats.

The championship win – the first in franchise history – was a long time coming, but for many fans, it was still perfect timing.

29-year-old Caoimhe – who has been attending Liberty games since 2022 – gushed over the sense of community that the team has fostered, an intimate vibe that she says hasn't been lost amid their recent surge in popularity.

"It's such a cool thing to see. When I went to my first game, we were very close – very cheap seats. They hadn't even opened up the upper section because it wasn't filling out that much," she told TAG24. "And now, two years later, it was over 18,000 people, and they set a record for a home game attendance!"

This surge in popularity, driven in large part by the immense hype around superstar rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, is something that Caoimhe – who is an athlete herself – says she's been waiting for her whole life.

The New York Liberty took home their first WNBA title earlier this month.
The New York Liberty took home their first WNBA title earlier this month.  © TAG24 / Steffi Feldman

New York Liberty fans celebrate rising popularity: "Are you not entertained?"

The Liberty's win comes amid a significant rise in the popularity of the WNBA.
The Liberty's win comes amid a significant rise in the popularity of the WNBA.  © TAG24 / Kelly Christ

"What we're continuing to see now is, like, 'Are you not entertained?'" Caoimhe said.

"That was such an insanely entertaining series, and if what you're looking for in sports [is] entertainment, there's no shortage of it [with] the Liberty, Gotham, or any of the women's teams around the country."

For some fans like 9-year-old Grace, the rising popularity of women's leagues has shaken up the way that young girls view their place in the sports world.

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Grace attended the event alongside her dad, Hector, who gave her special permission to skip a day of 4th grade to catch the Liberty victory parade.

Proudly sporting Ionescu's jersey, Grace told TAG24 that she was most excited to see her favorite stars live and in person – especially Sabrina!

Grace, who spent her most recent birthday at a Liberty game and plays basketball herself, also said she's been inspired by how much the athletes "push themselves to play so great."

"I hope I can do that when I'm older," she added.

As the parade drew to a close, spirits continued to run high as fans shifted gears to chant in support of the New York Yankees, who could earn a ticker-tape parade of their own if they win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, kicking off on Friday.

Cover photo: Collage: TAG24 / Kelly Christ

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