The New York Liberty have put the ghosts and demons of 28 years to rest. They no longer haunt the five boroughs and the tens of thousands of fans who have watched the team play in Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Prudential Center and finally, appropriately, Barclays Center.
Sunday night was more than just their first championship. It was end of the WNBA’s magic season, filled with records and moments and yes controversy. In a year where the empowerment of young American women was a huge cultural story, the women of the New York Liberty — the players, the fans, the owner — were in its vanguard.