The New York Liberty is on fire. From barely being in the conversation a few years back to now being one of the WNBA’s top contenders. Sure, phenoms like Caitlin Clark have generated massive buzz for the team, but it’s time we give a shout-out to the ones working their magic behind the scenes- the owners, Joe and Clara Wu Tsai. 

The duo has been pulling strings behind the scenes to take this team to new heights, and they deserve just as much credit as the stars. There was a time when the Liberty hit rock bottom in 2020. But fast forward to now, they are leading the standings. So, who exactly are these game-changing owners? 

The power couple leading the NY Liberty

Joe Tsai is a billionaire and co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and he and his wife Clara Wu, a former VP at American Express, have been making big moves in business. They purchased the New York Liberty in 2019 from James Dolan, the Knicks owner. At the time they bought the Liberty, the WNBA was struggling to catch the public’s attention, and many of the league’s owners seemed more focused on their NBA teams. 

However, Tsais, who also own the Brooklyn Nets, weren’t about to let the Liberty become an afterthought. Under Dolan’s ownership, the team had been exiled to the far reaches of Westchester County, far from NYC. So, the first thing they did was move it to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which they also own. This immediately raised the Liberty’s profile. In no time, the team was playing in front of 18,000-seat crowds.

But it wasn’t just about the venue. With a net worth of over $8 billion, the owner put real money into the team, too. They brought in top-tier talent like Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, both of whom have been instrumental in the team’s success. Ionescu was drafted as the first overall pick in 2020, right when the team was at its lowest point. They even flew out to Turkey to personally recruit Stewart.

Along with that, the duo invested heavily in the team’s infrastructure, including new locker rooms, better amenities, and chartered flights for the players. They even got fined $500,000 by the WNBA for breaking the league’s travel rules. Surprisingly, the move pushed the league to change its policies, and now chartered flights are standard for the playoffs. 

The owners have always made sure this WNBA team has NBA-level resources. Wu Tsai herself said, “We’re going to continue to advocate for anything around player health and well-being. We think that flying charter is very important for performance on the court.”

Winning over fans and players

The Tsais very well knew how to win over fans. Hence, Clara Wu produced a documentary about the team to boost its visibility and give fans a deeper connection to the franchise. And it worked. Attendance shot up by 63%, and ticket revenue has jumped by 70%. With time, they’ve increased corporate sponsorships by 30% for two years. As Wu Tsai puts it, “We showed that we could fill an arena with 17,000 fans—not just any fan, but a very engaged, rabid fan base.”

Now, investing money in a team is one thing, but it’s another thing to be genuinely involved. And Tsais are all in when it comes to the Liberty. They’re in the stands, at the games, and constantly advocating for women’s basketball. Clara Wu Tsai has been pretty vocal about her love for the team and the league. “We just knew that there were some very special qualities about this team,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Wu Tsai has spearheaded efforts to make Liberty games more accessible by streaming non-nationally televised games for free in the tri-state area. “It’s about giving people the opportunity to fall in love with this team, just like we did,” she said. Even Ellie the Elephant, the Liberty’s adorable mascot, has become an internet sensation with a massive social media following.

When it comes to players, the owners have repeatedly mentioned how important it is to create an environment where the athletes feel valued—not just as athletes, but as people. And it’s good to see how personally invested they are in the players. When Ionescu got married, the Tsais were right there attending the wedding. Ionescu herself expressed, “They value us as people, and that is something that I cherish.”

As for the future, Wu Tsai is optimistic. She believes the Liberty—and the WNBA—are just getting started. “The future is really bright for this team and the league,” she said. With the fanbase increasing and the team being just inches away from dominating the WNBA, it’s safe to say that Liberty is yet to see its peak. Let’s wait and watch what’s next for them!