Basketball Brooklyn Nets Owner Nearing Deal to Purchase New York Liberty WNBA franchise has been for sale since November of 2017. by Gregg Snyder January 10, 2019 The WNBA regular season is set to begin in May. The New York Liberty are once again scheduled to play their home games at the Westchester County Center. However, that could now change. According to reports by The Associated Press and other news outlets, Brooklyn Nets minority owner Joseph Tsai is leading an investment group that is close to a deal to purchase the Liberty from current owner James Dolan. There have been several close deals since Dolan put the team up for sale in 2017, but this latest one could be finalized in a week or so. The Liberty had their home games moves to Westchester as a cost saving measure. While costs were saved significantly, the drop in attendance was astronomical. At Madison Square Garden in 2017, the Liberty were fourth in the league in attendance. Last season, attendance dropped to last in the league. Combine bad attendance with struggling play on the court, and the recipe does not add up. The Liberty finished last season, the first under head coach Katie Smith, with the second-worst record in the league. They have the No. 2 overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft. Tsai is a 49 percent owner of the Nets. There has been no official reports on where the potential new ownership group plans to have the Liberty play their home games, but Barclays Center seems to make the most sense. With the 2019 schedule in place and dates set, is it too late for that to happen this season? A realistic option may be to have the team play at the Nassau Coliseum, home to the Net’s NBA G-League affiliate, Long Island Nets. The WNBA and New York Liberty have great potential to succeed in NYC. Smith has a roster full of some young talent in the likes of Bria Hartley, Kia Stokes, and Kia Nurse, and Brittany Boyd, to go along with veterans Tina Charles, Kia Vaughn, and Epiphanny Prince. A new ownership group that is willing to put passion into the team could go a long way in getting the Liberty back near the top of the pack in the WNBA. Post Views: 1,059 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Gregg Snyder Latest posts by Gregg Snyder (see all) ITZ Staff Makes Super Bowl LV Predictions. Which team wins? Who is MVP? - February 5, 2021 Jets And Nike Create New Jersey High School Girls Flag Football League - February 3, 2021 NJ Sports Photographer, Lauren Guillen, Raising Funds For Local Youth Holiday Gifts - December 11, 2020 President Trump Awards Lou Holtz With Medal of Freedom - December 3, 2020 Related TopicsBrooklyn NetsFeatureJames DolanJoseph TsaiKatie SmithNew York LibertyWNBAWomen's Basketballwomen's sports Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 Whoop Rewards Employees With $100 Each Month To Sleep by Inesh Chari | posted on March 22, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 112: New York Jets’ Insider Brian Costello (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 27, 2021 More in Basketball You Know I’m Right, Episode 111: New York Giants’ Insider John Schmeelk (Audio/Video) On the 111th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 107: New York Post’s Columnist Mike Vaccaro (Audio/Video) On the 107th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 97: SNY’s Michelle Margaux (Audio/Video) On the 97th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined SNY’s... WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season The WNBA’s 25th season also marks the debut of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Baseline Jumper, Episode 59: Bye Bye Thibs and Hello KG? Could Enes Kanter Be On His Way Out Of New York?