This was Liberty's reward for her ambition.

It was plated in sterling silver by Tiffany's as confetti flew and streamers covered the court at Barclays Center as the frenzied witnesses to a basketball breakthrough created a roar that could bridge Brooklyn and everyone who followed women's sports around the world: the WNBA trophy.

It was passed down by the owners who brought this entire triumphant show to Brooklyn, was mentored by the head coach hired to infuse it with championship tradition, and finally was embraced and held high by the players who united in overtime on Sunday clinched a historic 67-62 overtime victory in Game 5 of the finals.

Now the capital of women's basketball is finally no longer in Storrs, Connecticut, Columbia, SC or Las Vegas. It's here, in New York City, to the delight of a constituency in every trace of sea foam.

It wasn't easy. It wasn't cheap. It wasn't pretty. This wasn't an advertisement for the product's aesthetics, as previous portions of the finals had been.

The Liberty had to rally from a 12-point deficit in the first half. Breanna Stewart (4 of 15) and Sabrina Ionescu (a shocking 1 of 19) had miserable shooting nights. The team didn't make a three-pointer until Ionescu sank one late in the fourth quarter, finishing 2-for-23 from distance.

But it was championship courage, in all its blood and loose teeth on the asphalt, the kind that would make the Knicks of the '90s blush.

The Liberty were here at the beginning, a WNBA original, waiting 28 seasons to call themselves champions.

They came from the bottom – from the 2019 home games at the minor league Westchester County Center, from a 2-20 mark in the 2020 “bubble” season.

Because this is a team in the ascendant picture of the modern WNBA.

They have investments from Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, who took the torch five years ago and set out to build a world-class organization.

“See what can happen when you have an intention and put care and resources into it,” Wu Tsai said.

There's an electrifying home atmosphere at Barclays, quivering with the decibels of passionate partisans to the trunk-raising style of Ellie the Elephant.

They brought in a walking free agent in Stewart, they cultivated a homegrown star in Ionescu, and over the course of more than four years they patiently rounded out their roster (signing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, moving on to eventual Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, and importing). by Leonie Fiebich). ) without any noticeable holes.

“It takes everyone,” Ionescu said.

And yet they still had Nyara Sabally up their sleeves. The second-year pro player won the game with her 13 points, seven rebounds and 17 minutes of energy off the bench.

“This is what I’ve been working towards my whole career, moments like this,” Sabally said.

The Liberty were hailed as a super team. Without a banner it wouldn't have meant anything. The project was confirmed on a celebratory night in Brooklyn.

For the first time in their history, the Liberty are champions.