Liberty coach Sandy Brondello didn’t appear to be overly excited about having to play the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game on Long Island, but told reporters on Tuesday that her players were pros and “we’ll go out and play.”
It was announced Monday that the championship game would take place at UBS Arena, home of the Islanders, rather than the Liberty’s regular home court of Barclays Center due to the NBA draft.
Following the announcement, several reports emerged about the Liberty’s discontent over the situation and on Tuesday Brondello was asked about it before their 99-93 loss to the Mercury, which snapped their eight-game win streak.
“I only found out just before you guys,” Brondello said, according to Winsidr’s Myles Ehrlich. “It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. We want to host in New York. I’ve never been to this arena, but I heard it’s a nice one…we’re pros, we’ll go out and play.”
The NBA draft has been held at Barclays Center annually since 2013 — except for 2020 due to COVID — but the Liberty’s issue stemmed from the league’s response to attempts to get ahead of the potential scheduling conflict should they reach the title game for the WNBA’s in-season tournament.
Attempts to move the game to another day were rebuffed and the league reportedly gave their opponent, the Minnesota Lynx, the final say on what the resolution would be about when the game would take place.
“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 on Monday. “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.”
final at UBS Arena. Getty Images
UBS Arena has hosted a number of college basketball games since its doors opened in 2021, including both St. John’s men’s and women’s teams, but the June 25 game between the Liberty and Lynx will be the first professional basketball game — men’s or women’s — to take place at the Elmont arena.
Though the Liberty have enjoyed strong attendance numbers in Brooklyn, UBS Arena presents a challenge for its city-dwelling fanbase with the venue located on the border of Nassau County and Queens.