On October 24, 2024, tens of hundreds of followers lined the streets of decrease Manhattan to have a good time their newest hometown championship workforce, the New York Liberty. They gathered to cheer present gamers, together with Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, and former legends who’d taken the workforce to the brink of a title in 5 earlier seasons. However the parade’s greatest draw might have been the workforce’s mascot, Ellie the Elephant.
Because the parade made its manner alongside the Canyon of Heroes, Ellie moved from float to drift, pounding her toes in sync with the music, doing her signature dance transfer, the Ellie Stomp. The parade terminated at Metropolis Corridor for the official ceremony, and shortly after Mayor Eric Adams delivered a perfunctory speech, Ellie stunned the group by taking the stage and cajoling Liberty participant Kennedy Burke to affix her in an impromptu dance-off. Ellie famously by no means utters a phrase however communicates with a lingua franca of expressive physique language and gestures. Earlier than the dancing began, Ellie casually handed her couture purse to the mayor.
Kennedy Burke: I used to be a bit of nervous, however Ellie calmed my nerves as a result of she is so unapologetically herself. I used to be like, you understand what? She’s going to have a very good time. I’m going to have a very good time. I simply form of fangirled as a result of I really like Ellie.
Liberty fan Ava Brock: It was hilarious having Mayor Adams maintain her purse.
It was the form of crowd-pleasing second that has made Ellie a viral sensation.
Liberty Chief Model Officer Shana Stephenson: The performer is from Brooklyn. They sing, they dance, they perceive what it means to attach with an viewers.
Brock: She is who she is. Strolling as much as you, kissing you along with her trunk and every little thing. That’s how New York is. Take us or depart us. You could be who you wanna be, and nobody’s you loopy.
Stephenson: I’ve seen Ellie’s affect on followers who’re 70 years outdated and followers who’re 7 years outdated. The LGBTQ+ neighborhood identifies with Ellie. Black ladies determine with Ellie. Youth determine with Ellie. The best way that she attire, the way in which that she dances.
Burke: She will do any dance on this world. Salsa. Hip-hop. I’m fairly positive she will do some ballet. Her versatility is simply out of this world.
Liberty CEO Keia Clarke: One of many secret touches of Ellie is that she wears actual sneakers. Ellie wears sneakers, not massive mascot toes. [She wears custom Nike Sabrina 2 “By Big Ellie” shoes.]
Whereas the workforce intently guards the id of the performer contained in the elephant costume, there’s no hiding the affect Ellie has had since her debut when the workforce moved to Brooklyn’s Barclays Middle in 2021: Her greater than 350,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram helped drive the workforce’s social engagement up 665% final 12 months, and 24 of the Liberty’s 51 sponsors are new, together with 19 which have by no means earlier than partnered with a WNBA franchise. Ellie has performed a key position within the partnerships with Fenty, Essie, Away, Shake Shack, and Pinterest.
Stephenson: She’s helped speed up our development and our visibility. Ellie is permitting us to be revolutionary in how we strategy our partnership relationships. She’s opening up new doorways.
Clarke: Now we have Ellie activations included in a whole lot of our partnership offers.
Stephenson: Brooklyn is our residence, so [that evening] we had a celebration at Barclays Middle that included a efficiency by Fats Joe and Remy Ma. Lil Mama got here out and stunned everybody. Ellie got here onstage and did the Ellie Stomp.
Clarke: Elephants are robust and resilient. Elephants are matriarchal. Elephants have outstanding reminiscences, and we didn’t need to neglect the place we got here from.
