NEW YORK, NY – MAY 11, 2016 – The New York Liberty will tip off its historic 20th WNBA season on Sunday, May 15, with Opening Night presented by Kia Motors against the Dallas Wings at Madison Square Garden at 5 p.m.
The Liberty will begin its 20th season celebration in style, with an exciting evening of entertainment featuring live musical performances, fan giveaways, and the return of one of the league’s inaugural franchises coming off one of the best seasons in its history.
“We want our 20th season in the WNBA to be a celebration of the amazing accomplishments of our franchise and players as pioneers for women’s professional basketball, while looking forward with anticipation to what the next 20 years will bring,” said Team President Isiah Thomas. “The Liberty is proud to be one of the founding members of our league – through the years we have played in front of sold out crowds at The Garden and Radio City Music Hall, and hosted the first-ever regular season outdoor professional basketball game. We are fortunate to have passionate and loyal fans, and are honored that they will continue to make memories with their families and friends at Madison Square Garden.”
Fans will want to make sure they are in their seats prior to the start of the game, as the National Anthem will be performed by cast members from the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.” The halftime show will be a throwback to the 1990’s, when Montell Jordan takes the court for a special concert.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a free New York Liberty t-shirt, courtesy of Kia Motors.
New York is coming off a 2015 campaign that was one of the best in its history, as the Liberty posted the league’s best overall record of 23-11 for the first time, setting a franchise record for wins in the process. New York advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, falling just one win shy of making what would have been its first trip to the WNBA Finals since 2002.
The Liberty are led by forward Tina Charles, a native of Queens, N.Y., who was named First-Team All-WNBA last season, finished third in the league’s Most Valuable Player Voting, and last month was one of just 12 players selected for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team.
New York Liberty single-game tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, online at NYLiberty.com, and Ticketmaster.com/NYLiberty. Season ticket packages are available by calling 212-465-6073 or by visiting NYLiberty.com.