<p class="ingestion featured-caption">The New York Liberty celebrated their WNBA championship victory.Elsa/Staff/Getty Images</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx to become first-time WNBA champions.</li><li>The final capped off a record year for the WNBA as attendance and viewership soared.</li></ul><p>The New York Liberty celebrated their <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wnba-ticket-prices-caitlin-clark-indiana-fever-fans-higher-pay-2024-8">WNBA championship</a> victory with a parade through Manhattan's Financial District on Thursday in a picture-perfect conclusion to a record-shattering season.</p><p>On Sunday, the Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime of game five of the WNBA finals to bring home the team's first-ever championship.</p><p>Liberty star and two-time league MVP Breanna Stewart told reporters after the game, "I've been manifesting this moment for a while. There's no feeling like it."</p><p>She added, "To bring a championship to New York — first ever in franchise history — it's an incredible feeling, and I literally can't wait to continue to celebrate with the city."</p><p>Four days later, that celebration came. With city favorites like Ja Rule's "New York" blasting down Broadway, the team celebrated its victory with a ticker-tape parade in Lower Manhattan.</p><p>From the drafting of powerhouse rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the 2024 WNBA season was destined to be different.</p><p>When the season kicked off in May, the <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/clark-fever-liberty-429f20ebcf27bd0d6c0e7534bf69b64f">Associated Press</a> reported that the New York Liberty had become the first team to have more than $2 million in ticket revenue for a single game.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.si.com/wnba/here-what-every-wnba-franchise-worth">Sports Illustrated</a>, citing data from Sportico, reported in June that the Liberty was the third-highest valued in the league, worth $130 million, and brought in the most revenue in 2023 at $18 million.</p><p>It didn't stop there. In September, the WNBA reported the 2024 regular season had the highest attendance the league's seen in 22 years, with more than 2.3 million fans in attendance, a 48% increase from last season.</p><p>Viewership was up, too, with an average of 1.19 million viewers — a 170% increase from last season — making it the most-watched WNBA regular season on ESPN in history. Game five of the finals saw a record peak of 3.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.</p><p>And the league has no intention of slowing down. On October 21, the WNBA players' union, the WNBPA, opted out of its collective bargaining agreement.</p><p>"Opting out isn't just about bigger paychecks — it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today's players and the generations to come," said WNBPA president and nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike.</p><p>But before fans start thinking about how next season may look, here are the best moments from the Liberty's celebration.</p>