Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian celebrates power & popularity of women's sports as huge crowds gather for NY Liberty's WNBA champions parade
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian, a vocal supporter of women's sports, was proud to see the crowd in New York City that had gathered to celebrate the New York Liberty's maiden WNBA championship.
On Sunday, October 20, the New York Liberty, one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, finally won the championship after 28 years of existence. They defeated the Minnesota Lynx in a hard-fought WNBA Finals series.
On Thursday, October 24, the WNBA champions were rewarded with a ticker tape parade. Massive crowds turned up to the celebrations where the Liberty players were seen dancing and enjoying themselves.
A video of the parade was posted on X by the City of New York's official account. Ohanian reposted the video and wrote:
"Everyone watches women's sports. Enjoy the parade, NYC! Y'all are champions."
The 2024 WNBA Finals was the Liberty's sixth appearance at this stage. Lynx won Game 1 followed by two consecutive wins for Liberty. A close 82-80 victory for the Lynx in Game 4 forced the deciding game to be played.
On Sunday, the two teams battled back and forth to go into overtime, with the New York side eventually emerging victorious.
The New York Liberty’s revival began when they secured the top pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, selecting Oregon standout Sabrina Ionescu. Her arrival marked the beginning of the team’s path to this year's championship.
Reflecting on the title run and the overwhelming fan support in New York, Ionescu expressed her gratitude for the city’s embrace. She said about the parade (via USA Today):
“Seeing how many people were smiling and celebrating puts in perspective what it means to win a championship.”
"I think I'm a New Yorker now," Ionescu added with pride.
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian let their daughter Olympia "stay up late" to watch New York Liberty's WNBA triumph
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian has been following and investing in women's sports. He has co-produced a women's soccer show and invested in an NWSL club.
Ohanian celebrated the huge viewership numbers achieved by the WNBA Finals Game 1 between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx. He also let his seven-year-old daughter Olympia stay up late to watch Game 5 together.
"I let Olympia stay up a bit late for this one," he wrote on X.
When one fan asked him why he was not sitting courtside instead of watching it on the TV, he replied that he was on "dad duty."