Whenever the WNBA plays next, the New York Liberty will be moving to Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
The franchise will mark this momentous occasion in their history with its first logo change since the it came into existence with the WNBA itself in 1997.
Gone is the orange and blue in the color scheme, which makes since given that the team no longer shares its history with the New York Knicks. The Liberty were owned by Knicks owner James Dolan and played in Madison Square Garden for 20 years, before playing the last two seasons in White Plains, which is the home of the Knicks' G League team.
In 2019, Brooklyn Nets owner Joseph Tsai purchased the Liberty and announced that it would play in the home of the Nets starting in 2020.
Sports Logo History New York Liberty Alternate Logo 2020 - Present
The rest of the new primary logo is very similar to what was the secondary logo since 1997. The Statue of Liberty's head has been removed. The shield remains, with only the torch from Lady Liberty remaining in the middle, with the letter "N" to the left of the torch and "Y" to the right. The team's full name has been moved from inside the shield itself to below it.
With the orange and blue gone, the colors black, white, and seafoam (the green color of the Statue of Liberty) remain as the team's new primary colors.
Sports Logo History New York Liberty Primary Logo 2020 - Present
"While this new logo pays homage to our franchise history and the history of New York City, it also nods to our future and modernizes the team's overall look," Liberty Chief Operating Office Keia Clarke said in a press release. "This new chapter of Liberty basketball will begin with the roll out of a new visual that energizes and excites our Liberty Loyals."
There are two official secondary logos. The first is the primary logo without the New York Liberty wordmark. The second is just the torch from Lady Liberty.
When the Liberty does end up taking the court, it will be with new star Sabrina Ionescu, who is the NCAA's all-time leader (among men and women) in triple-doubles. She led Oregon to a Final Four appearance in 2019 and was expected to again in 2020 before the tournament was canceled due to concerns over coronavirus.
Ionescu will look to bring an elusive championship to the Liberty, as the franchise owns the league record for WNBA Finals appearances without a title with four. Stars Rebecca Lobo and Teresa Weatherspoon could not overcome the Houston Comets, losing to the trio of Sheryl Swoops, Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson in 1997, '98, and 2000. The Liberty returned to the WNBA Finals in 2002 but lost to Lisa Leslie and Thompson's Los Angeles Sparks.
See the New York Liberty logo history and team history.
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