Hardware matters.
The Liberty won their first Commissioners Cup two days ago and the trophy made some history for one of the WNBA’s original franchises. The Liberty, then owned by James Dolan, went to the W’s Finals four times in in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002, but never held the hardware. Joe and Clara Wu Tsai have owned the Liberty and Nets for five years but until Tuesday night haven’t felt the thrill of victory. (They are familiar with the agony of defeat, however.) So, the franchise and its owners came away from their 19-point win over the Las Vegas Aces with the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, a different franchise, more confident about a successful future.