Making HERstory: How WNBA owner Clara Wu Tsai turned a team ‘no one wanted’ into New York’s next big franchise
Clara Wu Tsai, the visionary behind one of sports’ most extraordinary turnarounds, is leading the New York Liberty to unprecedented heights. The team, once unwanted, now stands on the brink of winning its first WNBA title, symbolizing a meteoric rise under Wu Tsai’s leadership.
The Liberty, one of the WNBA’s original franchises, had faced an uncertain future. In 2019, Wu Tsai and her husband Joe acquired the team after its previous owner, James Dolan, moved the franchise out of New York and placed it up for sale in 2017. With no other investors stepping forward, Wu Tsai seized the opportunity.
“No one wanted to buy the team,” she recalls. “But we saw immense potential—not only in the incredible talent of the players but also in New York’s media market.”
Determined to restore the Liberty to its former glory, Wu Tsai began the task of building the team’s profile. “We brought the team back to New York City, playing at Barclays Center, closer to our fan base,” she explained.
Wu Tsai also invested heavily in the team’s infrastructure, creating a state-of-the-art locker room and assembling a world-class performance team. Through careful drafts, strategic trades, and free agency, the Liberty gradually evolved into a team of stars.
Wu Tsai’s pursuit of excellence took her all the way to Turkey in January 2023, where she secured the signing of Breanna Stewart, a pivotal moment in the team’s transformation. “Signing Stewart gave us credibility and attracted other top players,” Wu Tsai said. “Without her, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Since then, the Liberty has become the WNBA’s top seed, and interest in the Brooklyn-based team has soared. Wu Tsai shared that attendance has skyrocketed from an average of 2,000-3,000 fans per game to over 12,000, as women’s sports enjoy unprecedented growth in the U.S. “Our fans are incredibly diverse and engaged,” she said. “We strive to create a culture of inclusion and belonging, and our fan base reflects that.”
Liberty games have quickly become one of New York City’s premier summer attractions. “People come for the basketball, but they stay for the entertainment. Our mascot, Ellie the Elephant, and our dance team, the Timeless Torches, engage the crowd throughout the game. By the fourth quarter, we have traditions like the Ellie Stomp and Ellie Wave that create a dynamic atmosphere.”
Yet, Wu Tsai remains committed to balancing growth with affordability. As demand for courtside seats surged, leading to a waiting list and rising secondary market prices, Wu Tsai took steps to ensure accessibility.
“Next year, we’re opening our upper bowl for every game with ticket prices starting at $25,” she said, ensuring that both new and loyal fans can experience Liberty games.
The team’s success on the court parallels Wu Tsai’s broader ambitions for women’s sports. She believes the Liberty’s value could eventually reach $1 billion, but her impact goes beyond business. Wu Tsai is an advocate for female athletes, spearheading research that challenges existing paradigms in sports science.
In 2020, she launched the Human Performance Alliance, a collaboration between six universities, to focus on peak performance in elite athletes, especially female athletes—a group often neglected in health studies. “Less than 25% of health studies focus on women, despite making up half of the population,” Wu Tsai said. Her research examines everything from hormonal cycles to ACL injuries, which affect female athletes at twice the rate of their male counterparts. The aim is to uncover biological principles that will benefit both athletes and society at large.
Through her foundation, Wu Tsai has contributed over $200 million to this research, striving to improve global health by studying the factors that drive human performance. Beyond sports, she is deeply invested in community development in Brooklyn, home to the Liberty.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wu Tsai provided low-interest loans to minority-owned businesses in Brooklyn, with $2.8 million distributed to 98 companies. She also founded the BK-XL tech accelerator, funding 18 start-ups over two summers, with a focus on businesses led by underrepresented founders. Additionally, she partnered with Cornell and Yale to create a blockchain and AI curriculum for Brooklyn public schools and supported a Department of Education program teaching art based on the life of Jean Michel Basquiat to 4,000 students.
Wu Tsai’s commitment to her community is evident in everything she does. “New York City and Brooklyn are integral to our team,” she explained. “We want everyone to feel included, not just in the community but also in the arena.”
As the Liberty prepare for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Wu Tsai’s legacy continues to unfold. Her leadership has not only revitalized a once-ailing franchise but also elevated women’s sports to new heights, making her a trailblazer in the sporting world and beyond.
