Liberty's ticker-tape parade set for Thursday in NYC's Canyon of Heroes after first WNBA championship

NEW YORK — Breanna Stewart didn’t use the word “bonkers” lightly.

She used it to describe the forthcoming celebrations for her Liberty, whose 67-62 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night clinched the long-awaited first championship in the original franchise’s 28-year history.

Let the celebrations begin.

New York City will hold a ticker-tape parade for the Liberty along the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan on Thursday at 10 a.m., followed by a celebration at City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday.

Those details came a day after Adams announced five buildings — including City Hall and Brooklyn Borough Hall — would be lit in seafoam on Monday night to honor the Liberty.

“The fans have been amazing everywhere we’ve gone, but to be able to bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history, it’s an incredible feeling,” Stewart said after Game 5. “I literally can’t wait to continue to celebrate with the city because I know it’s going to be bonkers.”

Thursday’s ticker-tape parade is set to be the first in New York to celebrate a sports team since 2019, when the Canyon of Heroes commemorated the United States women’s national soccer team after it won the FIFA World Cup.

The last ticker-tape parade there for any occasion came in 2021 in recognition of healthcare employees and other essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been more than 200 ticker-tape parades in New York since the first in 1886, when an impromptu celebration descended upon the Canyon of Heroes in conjunction with the Statue of Liberty being dedicated.

“At a time when the rest of the country is finally acknowledging the endless talent in our WNBA, we are proud to have New York City bring home the trophy,” Adams said in a statement Sunday night. “To our WNBA champions, thank you for being a role model to our city, and showcasing the values of grit, determination, and hard work.”

Stewart, a two-time Finals champion with the Seattle Storm, signed with the Liberty before the 2023 season, helping to form a superteam also featuring Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.

The Liberty lost each of their first five trips to the Finals, including last year in four games to the Las Vegas Aces.

This year’s championship did not come easily, with the Lynx coming back from an 18-point deficit in their Game 1 win, while two of the games — including the winner-take-all Game 5 — went to overtime. All five games came down to the wire.

Stewart shot an uncharacteristically low 32.6% from the field in the Finals, including going 5 of 21 in Game 4 and 4 of 15 in Game 5, but she made an impact nonetheless with her effort, rebounding and defense.

It was a similarly uneven series for Sabrina Ionescu, who made an instant-classic, game-winning 3-pointer in Game 3 but made only one of her 19 field-goal attempts in Game 5 and shot 29.6% for the series.

Jones was named Finals MVP after the 6-6 center averaged 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

“Last year, we lost in the Finals, but look at us,” Stewart said Sunday. “Now we’re here. Can’t wait to celebrate. I don’t know, see me at the parade.”