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We live in a city with the most vibrant cultural scene in the country but, when it comes to team sports, we haven't always stood out. At long last, our losing streak was shattered last night after the New York Liberty won the WNBA Championships against the Minnesota Lynx, with a nail-biting final score of 67-62.
Needless to say, the city has been buzzing ever since: this is the first time the team has ever won a WNBA Championship in 28-year-history after losing its previous five appearances at the finals, and the first time in who-know-how-long since any New York sports team snatched a top spot on a national stage.
Although celebrations are still to come (the Mayor announced that the city will host a ticker-tape parade honoring the team this Thursday), New Yorkers took the time to mark the awesome event last night as well.
We imagine our girl Ellie is probably nursing a nasty hangover somewhere today.
Here are some ways the city celebrated the long overdue and absolutely monumental WNBA.
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1. By singing "We are the Champions" at the Barclays Center
Following the win, thousands of adoring fans began singing the classic victory song, Queen's "We are the Champions." As New Yorkers, we haven't had reason to belt the tune in a long while, so it must have felt pretty cathartic to be there.
2. By screaming at the top of their lungs
@takethismother I know everyone can relate to me. They had your girl STRESSED #wnbafinals @nyliberty #liberty ♬ original sound - Audrey
Let's be real, we might have won this game, but everyone who watched was at the edge of their seats the whole time. Our victory didn't come easy and, although it would've been nice to have won by a larger margin, the high stakes made the win feel all the more special.
3. By dropping some pretty sickening edits on social media
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Nike surprised all of us by dropping a pretty epic edit of Lady Liberty sporting a championship ring. I guess we know who the brand was rooting for.
4. By hyping Ellie the Elephant while she did a celebratory dance
@nyliberty @Ellie the Elephant knows how to celebrate! #NYLiberty #LIGHTITUP #WNBAChampions #EllietheElephant ♬ original sound - nyliberty
"Go Ellie! Go Ellie! Go Ellie!," we all said in unison.
5. By belting out our very own Alicia Keys song outside of the Barclays Center after the game
@shoshbedrosian It took 5 games, but the New York Liberty finally have a WNBA championship after beating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime. #NewYorkMoments #NYC @CBS New York ♬ original sound - Shosh Bedrosian
Yes, some of us are sick of listening to "Empire State of Mind"—especially if you happen to work in Times Square or around midtown, where vendors blast it on loop to lure in tourists—but it just hits different when New Yorkers sing it to celebrate their favorite sports team.
6. By keeping the party going throughout the week, including a parade
Since the game happened on a Sunday night, we expect that celebrations around the city are only going to get more intense throughout this week. We specifically recommend hanging out around the Barclays Centers to catch more spontaneous celebrations. Just in case you need it, here's our guide to the neighborhood around the Barclays Center.
The city is also going to host a series of celebrations, including a ticker-tape parade, this Thursday starting at 10am near City Hall.