Ann Blatt has been a New York Liberty fan since day one.
She remembers waiting with friends after each game to get autographs from their favorite players like Liberty Legend Teresa Weatherspoon.
“I saw T-Spoon running up and down the court and said, ‘Ooh, this is fun.’” Blatt said. “I gotta go get me a season ticket."
Just two years after the Liberty’s inaugural 1997 season, Blatt was travelling to watch the team. She followed the Liberty to Houston for an iconic finals game in 1999 where Weatherspoon made a half-court buzzer-beater to win the game. The moment became known as “the Shot.”
Caitlin Shann, who uses they/them pronouns, became a fan just a few years ago. “When [the Liberty] first came to Barclays, it was just the queerest, most loving, supportive, safe place to watch sports,” Shann said. They decided pretty soon to invest in a season-ticket membership, costing them roughly $600 in 2024. But like Blatt, they soon realized prices were going up significantly.
When the WNBA began 30 years ago, the Liberty were one of the league’s original eight teams. Compared to the NBA, the league had a relatively smaller audience, which had the inverse advantage of lower ticket prices to games. If you were a New York basketball fan but couldn’t afford Knicks season tickets, you could find affordable seats if you rooted for the Liberty. Over time, though, the popularity of women’s sports, and of basketball in particular, has grown. The Liberty has also become a highly competitive team; they won the league championship in 2024 and this season marked their sixth consecutive season making the playoffs. As their fanbase grew, so has demand for tickets. Since the team moved to Brooklyn in 2020, the number of season ticket holders has increased more than 900%, according to a Liberty spokesperson.
With higher demand has come higher prices, which some fans say has left them unable to experience the team in the way they once did. Some feel like their loyalty has not been rewarded. Shann said in 2025, they paid over $1,100 for their season tickets. This year, they skipped season tickets altogether for a combination of reasons, including the 40% jump in price. “Raising the prices astronomically, it’s like the gentrification of the WNBA, the gentrification of Barclays,” they said.
A Liberty spokesperson said increasing prices has helped the team continue to invest in players, fan experience, new premium spaces, upgraded food and beverage options and more merchandise. The Liberty do offer season-ticket options starting at $25 per game and cap increases at 25% per year for their longest-tenured season-ticket members, according to the spokesperson.
Morgan Taylor, the Liberty’s vice president of business operations, said there's a seat at every price at the arena. “Even if some people move back a few rows, we make sure that Barclays can remain home for our fans,” Taylor said.
Shann wasn’t satisfied with that response. They say for people with physical disabilities like themself, sitting in the upper bowls is a nearly impossible task. The Liberty spokesperson said elevators help fans with mobility challenges get to any concourse and wheelchair-accessible seating is available on every level, including the upper bowls.
Ann Blatt said she's had to make tough decisions about her fandom. “When I first started, I had three season tickets for my two nieces. Now I wind up having a half a season ticket for that one of the nieces and her son,” Blatt said. Still, she said she’s in it for the long haul. “I go to every game now, I'm going to join next year, no doubt.”
Shann, however, worries her fandom has run its course. “ It’s sad because the W was a little bit of a utopia. Maybe that was just a little naiveté.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story included information that was incorrectly attributed. It has now been updated.
