The New York Liberty are planning an $80 million practice facility in Brooklyn, and Breanna Stewart says the ambitious project marks an important step forward for the WNBA and the evolution of women’s sports.
The 75,000-square-foot facility will be built in the Greenpoint neighborhood along Newtown Creek and will serve as the Liberty’s training home beginning in 2026. The waterfront site will include two indoor courts, strength and recovery areas, spa-like amenities, rooftop dining and a Liberty-themed coffee shop and team store.
“This is the way that the women’s sport is definitely continuing to evolve,” Stewart said, as reported by Tania Ganguli of The New York Times. “It’s putting pressure on franchises, on owners, to make sure your team has the best of the best.”
The project will be privately funded by Liberty ownership through Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment. Global design firm Populous, which previously designed Las Vegas’ Sphere and other major sports venues, will lead the design.
Liberty owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai committed to investing in a dedicated space when Stewart joined the team in 2023. At the time, the Liberty were sharing space inside Barclays Center. Only a few WNBA teams have or will soon have stand-alone training facilities, including the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury.
“I’m just lucky that I was added to that franchise,” Las Vegas star A’ja Wilson said about of the Aces and their practice facility. “I feel like we set the standard for a lot of things.”
Liberty facility designed with input from New York players
Wu Tsai said the new facility is intended to signal long-term investment in both players and the community.
“When you start to see returns from your investment, the smart thing to do is to reinvest,” she said.
The facility was designed in consultation with Liberty players, including Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu. Players emphasized privacy and flow, leading to locker “suites” with day beds and vanities and layout changes that align with training and recovery needs.Breanna Stewart says the Liberty’s planned $80M Brooklyn facility is a major step forward in the future of women’s sports.
There will also be on-site child care rooms for infants and toddlers, a feature Stewart said she’s particularly excited about as a parent.
While the facility won’t open for two years, Stewart said she hopes to be there when it does: “I need to see this thing come to life for sure.”
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