Yesterday, the New York Liberty ended its nearly 3-decade-long drought, bringing home its first-ever WNBA championship title. They took over a 67-62 OT win over the Minnesota Lynx to lock in their maiden victory. Now that the celebrations are on, the New York Liberty’s superstar Ellie the Elephant is in no mood to stop.

As a result, she ended up crashing the panel discussion that included the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Sabrina Ionescu, and Monica McNutt among others. Surprised to see her dancing around, Ionescu couldn’t stop laughing out of total surprise while everyone else, including Monica McNutt, started hyping her as she showcased her enthusiasm in her vibrant moves.

Her vibe was so pumped up, that she might have overshadowed Silver’s presence on the panel while she blew kisses to everyone and declared Ionescu as the Liberty’s queen by placing a crown on her head as a gesture before she walked off the stage.

Talking about her charismatic presence, Ellie has turned into a cultural phenomenon who is becoming popular for her fashion sense besides her dancing and cheerleading. Strutting across the arena, one of her 20 bags in hand, death drops, and hilarious fan interactions courtside, Ellie has been hard to miss.

However, there is much more to her personality.

Ellie growing the New York Liberty’s business

Since 2021, when emerged as the franchise’s mascot, Ellie has gathered over 120k followers on Instagram. Having performed with leading musical artists like Justin Timberlake, Ciara, and Lil Kim, Ellie has also made a few TV appearances on programs including Good Morning America and the Tamron Hall Show. As a result, she has been playing a pivotal role in growing Liberty’s brand and business model.

She has been a hot topic in the media circles, constantly making headlines. For example, she made it to the New York Times 2023 profile where they asked – “Have you ever seen an Elephant Twerk?” Earlier this year, she graced the cover of Time Out Magazine, donning her magnificent self with the headline – “Belle of the Ball.”

But, the most recent one came around in a story by Vogue called “Get Ready with Me,” which featured her for the finals Game 2. Ellie also shared her thoughts about how she stays at her best self and said, “Just like our talented players, I practice every day and I am passionate about putting my best and most authentic self forward at every Liberty game.”

It is this energy, flambouyant and unpredictable, that has made Ellie the Elephant arguably the most-loved mascot. The panel wouldn’t mind some of that presence in historic celebrations.