Liberty seek 1st WNBA title: The tortured franchise history - ESPN

Rebecca Lobo was at Sunday Mass in a cathedral near Madison Square Garden in 1997, the first season for the WNBA and her New York Liberty. It was time for the Sign of Peace ritual.

«I turn around, I shake this guy's hand and say, 'Peace be with you,'» Lobo told ESPN. «And he says, 'You need to be tougher on the boards.'»

There's devout faith, and then there's the Liberty faithful. Some true believers have been members of the team's congregation for all 28 WNBA seasons. They've seen 19 playoff appearances, Hall of Fame players, celebrity fans courtside, some incredible games. But they haven't seen a WNBA championship.

The Liberty are one of three original WNBA franchises still in the city where they began. The others — the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury — each have won three WNBA titles. Not the Liberty. Five times, they have played for a WNBA title. Five times, they have lost.

New York is hoping this is the year that changes.

After falling short to the Las Vegas Aces last year, the Liberty rolled to a 32-8 regular-season record and No. 1 seed in the 2024 playoffs. Then they avenged last season's WNBA Finals defeat by taking down the Aces in the semifinals.

Yet heartache has always been part of the Liberty legacy: coming close to the ultimate prize, yet never quite getting it. Thursday's opening game of the 2024 WNBA Finals was the latest example of falling short in Liberty lore: A stinging overtime loss on their home court after leading by 15 points with just over five minutes left. New York evened the series Sunday as it shifts to Minneapolis for two games.

The WNBA has drawn unprecedented attendance, viewership and ratings this season, with many new fans tuning in. But the new fans might not know the