With WNBA Finals culminating in a decisive Game 5 tomorrow night, expect a lot of Liberty promotion, and action, around the (tax-exempt) Barclays Center.

So, the New York Liberty lost a nail-biter last night in Minneapolis, as the home Lynx tied the best-of-five WNBA Finals at 2-2, setting up a deciding Game 5 tomorrow at 8 pm at Barclays Center.

While it hasn't been announced yet, I'd expect amplified sound and other promotional activites on branded Ticketmaster Plaza before the game.

Photos Oct. 17 by Norman Oder

The cheapest Upper Bowl tickets start at $223. Expect a full house, and some craziness on the streets, especially if the Libs win.

Mayor Eric Adams, surely happy for a feel-good distraction amid his legal and other troubles, has promised a ticker-tape parade along the section of Broadway known as the "Canyon of Heroes" if the Liberty win.

Perhaps Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will aim for a local celebration.

Contra the up-and-down Brooklyn Nets, the Liberty have become a feel-good narrative for both the WNBA and the fans, with owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai investing in a distressed asset, bringing in new players, and building a new fan base.

Meanwhile, the Liberty have drawn attention not just for their game but for Ellie the Elephant, with their "chaotic, enigmatic, queer-coded mascot" who, in the words of one fan, "exemplifies Brooklyn and Black excellence," as well as homemade art in the team's signature seafoam color.

That's helped the Liberty reach a reported valuation of $200 million, an astonishing gain for the savvy Tsais.

Keep your eye on the ball

Sure, the Liberty are far less fraught than the Nets, and I can't begrudge people their fandom.

But as I walk around the arena, I couldn't help but notice that the exterior, under the Tsais' ownership of the team and arena company, has turned into more of a canvas for advertising and promotion than ever previously disclosed, including the rear entrance and loading dock, Flatbush Avenue flank, and digital LED wall over the arena doors. 

(Wasn't it just the oculus, originally?)

Note that I say "arena company." The site is owned by a public entity, then leased to the Tsais for $10. It's tax-exempt. Instead of paying taxes, they direct PILOTs, or payments in lieu of taxes, to pay off the arena's construction loan.

The tax-exempt status means tax-exempt financing, at a lower interest rate than standard. In Fiscal Year 2024, the foregone property taxes for the arena reached $110.2 million.

Shouldn't the arena company be paying something to get the "temporary" (and sponsored) plaza become permanent?