Knicks’ Title Run Had Liberty Stars Dreaming of Their Own October Party

The confetti had barely settled on Madison Square Garden’s floor when New York Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones began envisioning a championship scene of their own.

On a Sunday afternoon when the Liberty rolled past the Washington Mystics 86-64, the conversation inside the locker room wasn’t just about the win. It was about what the New York Knicks just pulled off — winning the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 — and what that means for a city starved for basketball glory.

Stewart, who stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocks, didn’t hide her admiration for the Knicks’ run. But she also made it clear: the Liberty want to do the same thing.

“We’re all really happy for the Knicks,” Stewart said, via reporter Myles Ehrlich. “First of all, it was really exciting to watch them and be a part of it. I was in my house last night, and there were fireworks going off until who knows when. New York is the best city in the world, and for them to be able to bring an NBA championship home after 53 years, it’s huge. Our goal has always been a championship, and we know we were short on that last year, but yeah, the city would be crazy. Let’s talk about that in October.”

Stewart also praised Knicks captain Jalen Brunson, who poured in 45 points in Game 5 to clinch the title. She noted that she and Jones share the same mindset about bringing championships to New York.

Jones — who posted 20 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two blocks against Washington — described stepping away from the game to soak in the Knicks’ moment.

“I was outside. I went to a nice little area in SoHo and watched the game,” Jones said. “The energy was really amazing, and I wanted to take the opportunity to be a part of that, because these things really aren’t guaranteed.”

The Liberty are no strangers to pressure. Last season, they fell short of a WNBA title, losing in the Finals. But with two stars publicly eyeing October as their own finish line, the message is loud and clear: they want to turn New York into a two-title basketball town.

For a franchise that has never won a WNBA championship, the Knicks’ run offers both a blueprint and a challenge. If the Liberty can follow that path, the city’s next basketball parade might not be exclusive to the NBA.