The New York Liberty celebrated its first-ever championship and record-breaking WNBA season

Stewart is a two-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA champion. She finished the regular season with an average of 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

The float’s sign jokingly points out that New York City could be called “Stew York City.”

WNBA rookie Leonie Fiebich was added to the Liberty’s starting lineup ahead of round one of the playoffs, where she scored 15 points in the first half against the Atlanta Dream.

Jones scored 17 points and had six rebounds in the Liberty’s game-five win.

After the game, she told ESPN, “It means everything to be able to pull out a championship and pull out a win. I just know how bad everybody in the locker room wanted it, and you know, it’s a great group; we really love each other, so to be able to finish the season like this as champions is second to none.”

Brondello has been the Liberty’s head coach since 2022.

Ionescu has spent all five years of her WNBA career with the New York Liberty.

She is the first player in league history to score more than 500 points, make more than 200 rebounds, and have more than 200 assists in one season.

The custom piece featured the Liberty’s 2024 playoff series records’ on the sleeves. It also has phrases like “Liberty has a nice ring to it,” all in the team’s signature colors of seafoam green, black, and white.

Wu Tsai told Gothamist at the parade that she felt “so grateful to be able to bring this to the city.”

She added, “It’s really an organization full of love.”

Queens librarian Webber-Bey has attended New York Liberty games since the team’s inaugural season in 1997. Because her father was a basketball coach, Webber-Bey loved the sport, but had a hard time picturing herself playing it.

“I didn’t see a future for me in that sport,” she told Business Insider at the parade on Thursday. “At least I knew every four years you could be in the Olympics as a professional runner, so I picked track and field.”

Now, with the Liberty’s win and the growing success of the WNBA, she hopes young female athletes see a runway for their careers.

“I want, especially the young girls, to know this is an option for you to be a professional athlete,” she said.

Brooklyn resident Osses, 38, has held season tickets for three years and said the annual rate has climbed from $500 to $600 and now $1,400 for next season. But Osses is happy to support the Liberty.

“It’s still relatively inexpensive compared to the NBA,” Osses told Business Insider. “As long as that money goes back to the players, I’m OK with that. Because they deserve it.”

Osses also says the environment at the Barclays Center home games is worth the price of admission.

“The amount of money they invest into entertainment and making it a family atmosphere, it’s encouraging everyone to watch,” Osses said. “If I ever have a family I want to bring them to a Liberty game.”

Overall, Osses says the Caitlin Clark effect was a “net positive” as it helped put the sport on the map and bring more attention to the WNBA, but new fans should be respectful of the fan base the Liberty has built.

“Its an inclusive space and its really inviting, specifically for the LGBTQ+ community,” Osses added.

Bronx resident George Sanchez and his family took an hour-long train ride down to the Financial District, lining up at 9:30 a.m. for a chance to see the team, he told Business Insider.

Sanchez says his four daughters, spanning ages 3 to 11, got into the New York Liberty over the past two years as excitement around the team was building.

“My daughters play for New York City basketball teams, so we’re always going to Liberty games,” Sanchez said.

His two oldest daughters had can’t miss school obligations, but Sanchez was able to take his two youngest superfans to see the parade.

Balancing excitement for the team with their growing popularity can be tricky, Sanchez said. The last time his family of six attended a game at the Barclays Center, it was $145 for each ticket, he said.

“We go to as many games as we can,” Sanchez said. “I want it to explode, but it means less frequent games.”

It’s not just the ticket prices; the girls get swept up in all merchandise, like hats and jerseys, as well.

“Of course, all the girls are like, ‘I want that one!” Sanchez said.

Queens attorney Thiviya Saraswati is a recent WNBA superfan who says she’s making up for lost time.

“I’ve gone to maybe 10 games this year. I get group-rate tickets and bring at least 10 people,” Saraswati told Business Insider. “I booked a block of 50 for my coworkers this summer.”

She said tickets were around $20 each and she paid for the whole outing up front, then had everyone pay her back. Even if ticket prices increase next year, Saraswati said she’ll keep organizing big groups as she’s always able to find friends who want to go.

Saraswati said she wants as many new fans for the Liberty and WNBA as possible, but not at the cost of misogyny.

“I’ve heard male fans online say, ‘You should be grateful to Caitlin Clark that we’re even watching this,'” she told BI. “We don’t actually want you to watch it then, because you’re not appreciating all the other players. She’s good, but there’s so many amazing players.”

The basketball teammates at Manhattan University in the Bronx came to the parade with the hope that they might be the players on the floats one day.

“We both finish college this year,” Amar told Business Insider. “The plan is to go pro next year.”

Gimenez, from Spain, and Amar, from Israel, said watching the explosion of support for women’s basketball in New York City and the United States has been exhilarating.

“I have friends that said they would never watch a WNBA game — and now they’re superfans,” Gimenez said. “It’s not overwhelming. We deserve it.”

Gimenez attended the championship final on Sunday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and was inspired by the electric atmosphere.

“I’ve never seen a women’s, or even a men’s, basketball game with that environment,” Gimenez said. “Seeing that as a player, it’s just crazy.”