(WNY News Now) – Governor Kathy Hochul praised the New York Liberty for their remarkable championship victory in the WNBA Finals during a spirited parade ceremony, emphasizing empowerment and inspiration for future generations.
Governor Kathy Hochul joined the New York Liberty parade float after their championship run that secured the 2024 WNBA Finals.
Welcome to the sweet land of liberty. On behalf of 20 million incredibly proud New Yorkers, I say welcome home to our champion women. Let’s do it again next year.
I also want to thank the leadership organization, led by Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai, who believed in empowering women, investing in them, giving them the resources they need and never giving up faith. You created a team of champions. You said you could create an elite team of professional athletes and my friends, you have succeeded. Let’s give them a round of applause.
And it comes down to coaching too, doesn’t it not? You need to have a coach who believes in you that you can trust. And I want to thank our incredible coach as well, Sandy Brondello, for leading us to victory!
This has been a magical ride. I have been in that arena. And I will say I’ve been to hundreds of sporting events. I have never seen the electricity in one place that I see led by the timeless treasures – the torches. But also, hold it up, torches, hold it up.
To me, they’ll always be timeless treasures. How’s that for recovery? But what about Ellie?
Ellie’s not here? When I had a chance to meet Ellie —I’ve met lots of celebrities, lots of big shots, lots of people who think very highly of themselves, but there is one person in a league of her own, and that is Ellie the elephant mascot. She was stupendous.
But to go to the games and see these women leave it all on the floor — the energy, the drive, the ambition they had — they’re an inspiration to all of us. And not just the thousands of little girls who now can see themselves as possibly rising up to this great position or knowing that there’s nothing they can’t do because the women have won, and they’ll continue to win under this great leadership. I’m so proud of them as the first woman governor of New York. I love a women’s team that brings home the championship.
But as we’re coming to the end of this month, I have one message from the boys, because the girls — the women — have done it: Now it’s up to you, New York Yankees. Let’s do another parade following these great women. Let’s go for a twofer. Thank you, everyone.
