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

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Breanna "Stewie" Stewart smiled pinch nan title trophy in-hand.

Stewart is simply a two-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA champion. She vanished nan regular play pinch an mean of 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

Stewart enjoyed nan ceremony pinch fans connected a float.

The float's motion jokingly points retired that New York City could beryllium called "Stew York City."

The Liberty's Rebekah Gardner, Ivana Dojkić, and Leonie Fiebich waved to nan crowd.

WNBA rookie Leonie Fiebich was added to nan Liberty's starting lineup up of information 1 of nan playoffs, wherever she scored 15 points successful nan first half against nan Atlanta Dream.

Finals MVP Jonquel Jones held her trophy and waved to nan crowd.

Jones scored 17 points and had six rebounds successful nan Liberty's game-five win.

After nan game, she told ESPN, "It intends everything to beryllium capable to propulsion retired a title and propulsion retired a win. I conscionable cognize really bad everybody successful nan locker room wanted it, and you know, it's a awesome group; we really emotion each other, truthful to beryllium capable to decorativeness nan play for illustration this arsenic champions is 2nd to none."

Head coach Sandy Brondello sprayed nan crowd pinch champagne.

Brondello has been nan Liberty's caput coach since 2022.

Guard Sabrina Ionescu waved to nan crowd.

Ionescu has spent each 5 years of her WNBA profession pinch nan New York Liberty.

She is nan first subordinate successful convention history to people much than 500 points, make much than 200 rebounds, and person much than 200 assists successful 1 season.

Ionescu wore a civilization Nike overgarment to nan parade.

The civilization portion featured nan Liberty's 2024 playoff bid records' connected nan sleeves. It besides has phrases for illustration "Liberty has a bully ringing to it," each successful nan team's signature colors of seafoam green, black, and white.

Team owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joseph Tsai joined nan celebration.

Wu Tsai told Gothamist astatine nan parade that she felt "so grateful to beryllium capable to bring this to nan city."

She added, "It's really an statement afloat of love."

Longtime instrumentality Deimosa Webber-Bey, 46, hopes nan WNBA's increasing occurrence shows young girls that they tin go master athletes.

Queens librarian Webber-Bey has attended New York Liberty games since nan team's inaugural play successful 1997. Because her begetter was a hoops coach, Webber-Bey loved nan sport, but had a difficult clip picturing herself playing it.

"I didn't spot a early for maine successful that sport," she told Business Insider astatine nan parade connected Thursday. "At slightest I knew each 4 years you could beryllium successful nan Olympics arsenic a master runner, truthful I picked way and field."

Now, pinch nan Liberty's triumph and nan increasing occurrence of nan WNBA, she hopes young female athletes spot a runway for their careers.

"I want, particularly nan young girls, to cognize this is an action for you to beryllium a master athlete," she said.

Season summons holder Gris Osses said nan value of their tickets are much than doubling adjacent year, but it's worthy it to support nan Liberty.

Brooklyn resident Osses, 38, has held play tickets for 3 years and said nan yearly complaint has climbed from $500 to $600 and now $1,400 for adjacent season. But Osses is happy to support nan Liberty.

"It's still comparatively inexpensive compared to nan NBA," Osses told Business Insider. "As agelong arsenic that money goes backmost to nan players, I'm OK pinch that. Because they merit it."

Osses besides says nan situation astatine nan Barclays Center location games is worthy nan value of admission.

"The magnitude of money they put into intermezo and making it a family atmosphere, it's encouraging everyone to watch," Osses said. "If I ever person a family I want to bring them to a Liberty game."

Overall, Osses says nan Caitlin Clark effect was a "net positive" arsenic it helped put nan athletics connected nan representation and bring much attraction to nan WNBA, but caller fans should beryllium respectful of nan instrumentality guidelines nan Liberty has built.

"Its an inclusive abstraction and its really inviting, specifically for nan LGBTQ+ community," Osses added.

Bronx resident George Sanchez is raising 4 daughters arsenic Liberty fans, but said it's tricky to equilibrium nan costs of jerseys and tickets.

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

Sanchez says his 4 daughters, spanning ages 3 to 11, sewage into nan New York Liberty complete nan past 2 years arsenic excitement astir nan squad was building.

"My daughters play for New York City hoops teams, truthful we're ever going to Liberty games," Sanchez said.

His 2 oldest daughters had can't miss schoolhouse obligations, but Sanchez was capable to return his 2 youngest superfans to spot nan parade.

Balancing excitement for nan squad pinch their increasing fame tin beryllium tricky, Sanchez said. The past clip his family of six attended a crippled astatine nan Barclays Center, it was $145 for each ticket, he said.

"We spell to arsenic galore games arsenic we can," Sanchez said. "I want it to explode, but it intends little predominant games."

It's not conscionable nan summons prices; nan girls get swept up successful each merchandise, for illustration hats and jerseys, arsenic well.

"Of course, each nan girls are like, 'I want that one!" Sanchez said.

Superfan Thiviya Saraswati has organized group outings to spot Liberty games pinch much than 50 New Yorkers.

Queens lawyer Thiviya Saraswati is simply a caller WNBA superfan who says she's making up for mislaid time.

"I've gone to possibly 10 games this year. I get group-rate tickets and bring astatine slightest 10 people," Saraswati told Business Insider. "I booked a artifact of 50 for my coworkers this summer."

She said tickets were astir $20 each and she paid for nan full outing up front, past had everyone salary her back. Even if summons prices summation adjacent year, Saraswati said she'll support organizing large groups arsenic she's ever capable to find friends who want to go.

Saraswati said she wants arsenic galore caller fans for nan Liberty and WNBA arsenic possible, but not astatine nan costs of misogyny.

"I've heard antheral fans online say, 'You should beryllium grateful to Caitlin Clark that we're moreover watching this,'" she told BI. "We don't really want you to watch it then, because you're not appreciating each nan different players. She's good, but there's truthful galore astonishing players."

College hoops players Inés Gimenez, 22, and Nitzan Amar, 23, are ecstatic astir nan early of their sport.

The hoops teammates astatine Manhattan University successful nan Bronx came to nan parade pinch nan dream that they mightiness beryllium nan players connected nan floats 1 day.

"We some decorativeness assemblage this year," Amar told Business Insider. "The scheme is to spell pro adjacent year."

Gimenez, from Spain, and Amar, from Israel, said watching nan detonation of support for women's hoops successful New York City and nan United States has been exhilarating.

"I person friends that said they would ne'er watch a WNBA crippled — and now they're superfans," Gimenez said. "It's not overwhelming. We merit it."

Gimenez attended nan title last connected Sunday astatine nan Barclays Center successful Brooklyn and was inspired by nan electrical atmosphere.

"I've ne'er seen a women's, aliases moreover a men's, hoops crippled pinch that environment," Gimenez said. "Seeing that arsenic a player, it's conscionable crazy."