Before Liberty star Breanna Stewart sat down for her obligatory media availability after Wednesday’s win against the Toronto Tempo, she checked the score of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs.
Two nights later, Stewart was watching Game 2.
But since the Liberty were hosting the Indiana Fever on Saturday, she had to turn off the TV early to sleep and missed the thrilling end, which put the Knicks up 2-0 with the best-of-seven series resuming Monday at Madison Square Garden.
The WNBA season is in full swing, but the Liberty are keeping a close eye on the Knicks, as is the vast majority of people in the city.
How could they not be?
The buzz across the five boroughs has been palpable.
You can’t turn a city corner or step into a subway car without seeing someone sporting donning orange-and-blue gear.
Even visitors are taking notice.
Fever star Caitlin Clark said she was tempted to join the mass celebration outside Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
“I always want to see those people that … they’re jumping around on each other and climbing light poles,” Clark said. “I feel like that would be an experience. I don’t know if my security guy would let me do that, but I want to experience that because those Knicks fans are so passionate and crazy. I admire it. It’s pretty awesome.”
The Knicks fever spread around Brooklyn and infiltrated the Barclays Center, too.
Sure, the Liberty are far more connected with the Brooklyn Nets because of their joint ownership by Joe and Clara Wu Tsai.
But members of the Liberty feel a sense of connection to the Knicks run to their first Finals since 1999.
They’ve relished the communal excitement, too.
“It’s been amazing,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “You’re able to understand when you’re driving on the street or walking on the street, like, everyone’s in Knicks gear, everyone’s dialed into the game, the streets are packed. Everyone’s cheering, watching the game, and I think it’s a testament to the basketball culture here in New York City, but also how you know everyone’s a fan and so if you’re not, you kind of become one because of the feeling and the buzz in the city, so I’m really excited, the series is going to be really good.”
The Knicks are vying for their first championship since 1973.
The Liberty broke the city’s professional basketball title drought when they won it all in 2024.
So no one understands the pressure and feelings the Knicks are going through better than the Liberty.
“We’ve been able to bring a championship to a city that loves the game of basketball,” Jonquel Jones said. “And obviously, now, seeing the Knicks do it, and see the way that everybody’s supporting them is a great thing and I just want the city to continue to be successful because it’s a special type of energy when New York basketball teams are winning, and New York teams are winning and you can’t really explain it, you just have to experience it.”
The Liberty have a lot of connections to this Finals series.
Ionescu and Jalen Brunson — the faces of New York basketball — are close friends.
Liberty coach Chris DeMarco worked with current Knicks coach Mike Brown on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Golden State Warriors.
Marine Fauthoux played with Victor Wembanyama’s older sister, Ève, and knows his family well.
She said she also has a friend on the Spurs coaching staff.
Marine Johannès shares an agent with Wembanyama and crossed paths with him when the two represented France at the 2024 Paris Games.
The bummer is that the Liberty wrapped up their seven-game homestand Saturday.
They’re heading out for a two-game road trip, starting Monday in Connecticut, meaning they’ll be gone for Games 3 and 4 this week.
“Knicks in four!” Stewart said. “It’s crazy because we go on the road now … We don’t get to go to any games.”
Clark said she’s indifferent about who wins, but selfishly, she hopes the series goes to seven games.
“It’s been a great series — even the Spurs beating the Thunder, I think that was incredible, too,” she said. “So I’m a fan of basketballI think even watching, you can learn so much. So I try to absorb as much as I can.”
