L-I-B-E-R-T-Y NEW YORK LIBERTY

So I’m a week early by posting this. The WNBA Draft is next Wednesday. I’m so excited about this. I know many people still don’t know the best kept secret about the summer: The WNBA. The Women’s National Basketball Association has been up and running for the past 10 years now. It hosts some of the greatest basketball talent there is today. Diana Taurasi, Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Tina Thompson, Sheryl Swoopes, Becky Hammon…among many other women are all the “All Stars” in the league. As of today there are 13 teams in the league. In the West we have the LA Sparks, Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, San Antonio Silver Stars, and Minnesota Lynx. In the East we have the New York Liberty, Detroit Shock, Connecticut Sun, Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics, and the Indiana Fever.

I am a die hard fan of the New York Liberty. I have been a season ticket holder since 2001. I’ve been going to the games since 1999. 1999 in my opinions as well as several of the WNBA fans will tell you, was the best year ever. It was the year when the ABL which was a coexisting league folded. The 1999 Draft included the young college graduates and the ABL stars. Man, it was loaded with star power. The playoffs were even better. It came down to Houston against New York and Houston was up by 2 points in the last 2.4 seconds of Game 2. At the time, it was a best out of 3 contest, so you can just imagine my little 8 year old body on the floor in despair of watching my team lose the playoffs for the 3rd time. In those 2.4 seconds, our point guard Teresa Weatherspoon put up this half court jumper…which went in, forcing a game 3. And several annoyed neighbors from me and my mom screaming. We eventually lost the third game, but hey…I wish I could’ve been there.

Why is the WNBA the best secret of the summer? Anyone who lives in New York just has to take the train into Penn Station and walk on upstairs to Madison Square Garden. Tickets are as low as 10 bucks in the 300s, 20 bucks in the 200s. What would be 80 dollar seats for the Knicks is where I’m sitting for 20 bucks. Grab some popcorn and soda and you are set for the night. But you have someone who doesn’t like basketball? There is a load of entertainment. The music featured at the Garden is the same hits circulating the radio rounds during the summer. We have been voted the best arena for music. There are a lot of activities on the court, and it’s a good time to release your frustrations out without penalty. You can scream as loud as you want and no will look at you oddly, unless you are my mother. My mom can yell so loud that when we went to the Sun arena for the All Star game, she could be heard on the television. And we were in the last row!

It’s good clean fun. Its fundamental basketball that is quick and smooth. There aren’t any egos on the court, they aren’t making outrageous sums of money like the NBA players, and there aren’t sex scandals or any type of scandals going on. It’s good entertainment. The players are so nice. I’ve ran into several of the players after the game, and they do not leave until the last autograph is signed. They appreciate the fans.

I also like going to the games because I formed a family with my section. I’m the youngest in the section, most of the women are older. There are two girls in my section who are 5 years older than me, and we’ve bonded over the course of the years. I originally used to sit in the 300s but last year we relocated for the same price into the section below us, where we already established relationship ties. Sure I get picked on because I’m the runt of the group but I get relationship advice, I get life advice, I even get college advice from these women!

But this league is the best kept secret. We’re even due for two new teams in 2008. There used to be a winter league called the NWBL (National Women’s Basketball League) where many college and WNBA stars would play in the offseason. They unfortunately folded, but Colorado is looking to put a bid in next year. They are about 4 million dollars away from getting that bid. Atlanta is also in the process of getting a bid. Every year there is new talent, a new rule, or a change. It’s still young, and its not going anywhere for a long time, so stop on by and support your local WNBA team.