Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts and Delivers Remarks at Ceremony Celebrating New York Liberty

October 24, 2024

Ros Gold-Onwude: Good afternoon, New York. New York, what's up? Make some noise for the champs up here. My name is Ros Gold-Onwude. I'll be your master of ceremonies for today's championship celebrations.

This season, I was on the New York Liberty broadcast as an analyst, color commentator. What an honor to cover a team so talented, so awesome. And also as someone who was born and raised in Queens, New York City. Queens, what's up? As someone who remembers when the WNBA first started. I know I speak for all of us when I say it feels so good. It feels so good. To witness the first ever championship in franchise history come to the New York Liberty. It feels so good. The championship resides in New York.

We needed this. New York, we were hungry. We were hungry. And it took the right group of players. It took the right group of visionaries. The right group of leadership. To get this franchise over the hump. This historic franchise. One of the original eight franchises in WNBA history. This championship was the first for the Liberty in 28 years. It's New York City pro basketball's first championship in 51 years. This team was excellent all season long. Tying a franchise best finish of 32 and 8. They clenched the number one overall seed in the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.

Liberty loyal fans, you showed up. Make some noise for yourselves. Make some noise for yourselves. Barclays Center was rocking all season long. And broke attendance records multiple times. We packed that place out. Barclays was the place to be. Brooklyn, what up? Brooklyn, what's up? Brooklyn, stand up. Brooklyn, stand up. BK all day. Okay, okay, okay. We hear you, Brooklyn. We get it. While we're at it, is Bronx in the house? Staten Island, what's up? Manhattan if you from the city. Alright. New York, here.

In so many ways, this was a record shattering season for the New York Liberty. Guys, this was a record shattering season for the entire league, for the entire WNBA. This comes at a pivotal time when all of women's sports are garnering well-deserved attention and popularity. And in the midst of all of that momentum around women's sports, it's your team that shined brightest. It's your team that was crowned champion. What a time it is.

So today, we heard from all the boroughs. We heard from everybody repping in New York. We're celebrating all over the city, whether it was the ticker tape parade that the players just came from, or right here at City Hall for the championship ceremony celebration. But we're finishing with a bang in Brooklyn tonight at Barclays Center. And the championship party will finish at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. So I hope you got some energy, y'all, because we're going all day long.

Without further ado, let us get to the official celebration, the championship ceremony. Let's get it started. As we begin our celebrations and championship ceremony, we are joined by distinguished government officials today. Our first address will be from the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul.

Governor Kathy Hochul: Welcome to the sweet land of liberty. On behalf of 20 million incredibly proud New Yorkers, I say welcome home to our champion women. Let's do it again next year.

I also want to thank the leadership organization led by Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai who believed in empowering women, investing in them, giving them the resources they need, and never giving up faith. You created a team of champions. You said you could create an elite team of professional athletes. And my friends, you have succeeded. Let's give them a round of applause. And it comes down to coaching too, does it not? You need to have a coach who believes in you that you can trust. And I want to thank our incredible coach as well, Sandy Brondello, for leading us to victory.

This has been a magical ride. I have been in that arena. I will say I've been to hundreds of sporting events. I have never seen the electricity in one place that I see led by the timeless treasures, torches, but also, hold it up, torches, hold it up. To me, to me, they'll always be timeless treasures. How's that for recovery? But what about Ellie? Ellie's not here? When I had a chance to meet Ellie, I've met lots of celebrities, lots of big shots, lots of people who think very highly of themselves. But there is one person in a league of her own, and that is Ellie the Elephant, our mascot. She was stupendous.

But to go to the games and see these women leave it all on the floor, the energy, the drive, the ambition they had, they're an inspiration to all of us. And not just the thousands of little girls who now can see themselves as possibly rising up to this great position or knowing that there's nothing they can't do. Because the women have won, and they'll continue to win under this great leadership. I'm so proud of them. As the first woman governor, I love a women's team that brings home the championship.

But as we're coming to the end of this month I have one message from the boys because the girls, the women have done it, now it's up to you New York Yankees let's do another parade following these great women let's go for a twofer thank you everyone

Gold-Onwude: Thank you Governor Hochul and now we continue our ceremony with an address from the mayor of New York Eric Adams

Mayor Eric Adams: They tell me this is a national coverage right now so we want to send a message loud and clear, there are only two types of Americans, those who live in New York and those who wish they could. This is the greatest city on the globe. There's no place like New York.

And think about this name for a moment because oftentimes you listen to the names that's associated with a team and you just think it's a calling card. This team is called Liberty. Free to express yourself the way you want to be. Look at the players of this team. They personified the energy and the spirit of this city during a time when so many people are trying to figure out how do I express myself so I don't be judged. They're saying the hell with you judging me. We're going to be who we are and we're going to play to win. And they were able to play to win.

That's what this is about. It's about the greatest city on the globe, having a bald-headed, earring-wearing, mayor, being able to lead this city with everyday people who make this city what it is. This team is amazing. It's amazing because they fought hard. You think about Clara and Joe, the vision they had of building this team to what it is right now and being able to win at the capacity that they deserve.

Congratulations to Liberty. I'm going to be so proud giving out the key to the city to go with this amazing trophy. Keep doing a great thing you're doing. Let's win it again next year. Thank you very much.

Gold-Onwude: Thank you, Mayor Adams. And now we will hear from City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams: What a day. What a day. You know we've got electricity in the air and it is because we have been liberated by the Liberty. I'm so excited right now. But we are here to celebrate this amazing team. I'm so very proud to lead our historic women majority City Council and our most diverse council.

This women-majority Council is thrilled to celebrate the 2024 New York Liberty team for making history with its first WNBA championship in franchise history. Herstory. The first title is always the sweetest and our city has been beaming with pride all season long. It has been over 50 years since New York brought home a basketball championship and I'm elated that our women athletes made it happen. It's fitting because we know like you that women get the job done.

Your victory capped off one of the most memorable seasons in WNBA history during which, attention and focus on women's basketball was magnified through your remarkable teamwork, grit, and determination. You demonstrated to the world how a women's sports team can unify a city. From the leadership of Breanna Stewart. Yeah. And Sabrina Ionescu we have now, we have captured a WNBA title and an Olympic gold medal in one year.

Also to the dominance of our WNBA Finals MVP, Jonquel Jones. Come on here. This entire team has shown that it has the heart. That's right. That's right. That's right. You all are role models to so many young athletes, many of whom are out here in this audience cheering you today. To girls and to women, we cannot forget about our beloved Ellie. We don't know who she is, but we shout her out too. To the entire New York Liberty franchise supporting this historic team, thank you, thank you, thank you for an unforgettable season.

I just want you to know that yesterday the New York City Council, through the leadership of Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Tiffany Cabán, passed a resolution. They're over there cheering on you. We passed a resolution to honor your championship win by designating October 20th every year as New York Liberty Day in the City of New York. Congratulations, Liberty.

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