The Liberty don’t appear too happy with the WNBA after the league kept the date for the Commissioner’s Cup championship game, despite a conflict with the team’s home venue of Barclays Center, and forced the Libs to move the game east to UBS Arena.
The Liberty had notified the WNBA in December that a potential championship game on June 25 would not work should they make it and the league “ignored” the team, according to a report from amNewYork.
The Liberty and WNBA announced on Monday that the game against the Lynx would take place at UBS Arena, which straddles the Queens/Nassau County border, rather than Barclays Center due to the 2024 NBA Draft taking place at Barclays on June 26.
The defending Eastern Conference champions had gone back to the WNBA earlier this month about the scheduling conflict and, according to the amNewYork, were told – before UBS Arena became an option – that the game would have to be played in Minnesota, even though the Liberty had earned home court.
A source told the outlet that the Liberty had suggested that their July 2 home game against the Lynx be re-designated as the championship game and that the Lynx were given the final say about when the game should take place.
The Barclays Center has served as the home of the NBA draft every year since 2013 – except for 2020 due to COVID – and it has become one of the venue’s major annual events.
The setup for an event like the NBA draft can take several days, which likely contributed to the issue with the Liberty’s game.
“With the scheduling of the NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, the NBA created an unavoidable conflict for use of the building,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told The Post in a statement. “We are working closely with the New York Liberty on this one-game relocation to UBS Arena and to provide the best possible experience for attendees and participants at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship. We apologize for any inconvenience to the Liberty’s season ticket holders and loyal fans.”
The Liberty did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.
A statement from Liberty CEO Keia Clarke earlier in the day thanked UBS Arena, which is home to the Islanders and has hosted several college basketball games since it opened in 2021, for allowing the WNBA team to use the facility.
“While we wish we could have brought this game to our fans in our home arena, we are grateful to UBS Arena for accommodating us and providing a world-class venue in New York,” Clarke said.
This is the second consecutive season the Liberty made it to the championship game of the Commissioner’s Cup, which is the WNBA’s in-season tournament, and they are looking to repeat as champions.
The Liberty defeated the Aces last year in Las Vegas to capture the Commissioner’s Cup title.
