The New York Liberty hosted Pride Night presented by Lyft at Barclays Center on Friday night, and the arena got fully in the groove. The NY Liberty were once again facing last year’s playoff foe, the Phoenix Mercury, just days after securing one of their most inspiring wins of the season against the same team.
With 16,000 Liberty fans in the building, the energy was loud, proud, and ready for a halftime show hosted by TENz Founder Sailey Williams, who took the court as Guest Host and Cultural Analyst.
Sailey co-hosted alongside the electric Maria Clifton making sure every break, timeout, and crowd moment felt bigger, brighter, and more joyful.
This year, NY Liberty mascot and social media sensation Ellie the Elephant, or should we say Ellie-Donna, delivered a high-energy Madonna tribute in celebration of Pride, performance, and community. The tribute, choreographed by Arturo Lyons, paid homage to iconic Madonna eras while bringing Ellie’s signature flair to the Barclays Center floor.
The Timeless Torches followed with a Pride-themed routine that had the crowd in awe.
Big Ellie woke up the 4th quarter of the New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury matchup with the Ellie Stomp, turning the arena all the way up with a pop vogue session to “Daughter” by 2 LIVE ft. Madame 007. Special thanks to Nike (@nikenyc) for providing the fresh kicks for the courtside catwalk.
