Ellie the Elephant, also known as Big Ellie and Big Ellie Liberty, is the

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

for the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The WNBA w ...

(WNBA). Ellie was introduced on May 6, 2021, with the team's change in ownership and move to Barclays Center, replacing the previous mascot Maddie, a dog. The character is known for her sass, and dance moves. Her skillfulness at

twerking Twerking (; possibly from 'to work') is a type of African-American dance, dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving Pelvic thrusting, throwing or thrusting the hips back or shaking the buttocks, often in a Partial squat, ...

has been noted in ''The New York Times''. Ellie has been a runaway success, referred to by players and fans alike as a vital part of the team and the vibe at Barclays Center. Her pop culture dominance has gotten noticed throughout the WNBA and beyond, and the creative team is on the record as being surprised and delighted at her resonance in the sport.

Origins

When the ownership of the New York Liberty changed hands from James Dolan (owner of

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

and the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

) to Clara Wu Tsai and

Joe Tsai Joseph Chung-Hsin Tsai ( zh, t=蔡崇信, poj=Chhòa Chông-sìn; born January 1964) is a Taiwanese-Canadian billionaire business magnate, lawyer, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder and chairman of the Chinese multinational technology company ...

(owners of the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

), the team moved to Barclays Center. The prior mascot for the Liberty, a dog called Maddie, was named after

Big Ellie Liberty at a New York Liberty game

For their move to Brooklyn Liberty CEO Keia Clarke researched animals that were commonly associated with New York City, and learned that when construction was completed on the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It w ...

, there was a parade of

P. T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was ...

's elephants (including

Jumbo Jumbo (December 25, 1860 – September 15, 1885), also known as Jumbo the Elephant and Jumbo the Circus Elephant, was a 19th-century male African bush elephant born in Sudan. Jumbo was exported to Jardin des Plantes, a zoo in Paris, and then tr ...

) to show people that the bridge was strong enough, held for its first anniversary on May 17, 1884. Clarke thus thought an elephant could symbolize the team's own move to Brooklyn. The name Ellie is after

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

, the historic welcome center for new immigrants, next door to Liberty Island, the home of the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

. The mascot wears a

radiate crown A radiant or radiate crown, also known as a solar crown, sun crown, Eastern crown, or tyrant's crown, is a crown, wreath, diadem, or other headgear symbolizing the Sun or more generally powers associated with the Sun. It comprises a number of na ...

in the style of the Statue of Liberty, as was also worn by the prior mascot Maddie.

Creative Team

The performer who embodies the Ellie costume remains anonymous, but they are a Brooklyn native. As a mascot, Ellie does not use her voice with fans during games, or to the press during interviews, but as of 2024 features first-person voiceover narration on her TikTok. Ellie's main creative team are NY Liberty Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson, senior director of entertainment Criscia Long and senior entertainment manager Shenay Rivers, who are all black women. They oversee Ellie in addition to the Timeless Torches, the Torch Patrol, The Lil Torches, along with any outside performers. Ellie's personality reflects the Black and LatinX culture of Brooklyn, and the dominance of the team on the floor. Her creative team looked to New York hip-hop personalities for inspiration. The performer who embodies Ellie tried out at an open audition. Long and Rivers act as Ellie's Stylists, working with costumes Manager Alexis Leatherwood to customize her outfits with extras like Rhinestones or custom pieces. Ellie's purse has become a notable accessory, and she has brand deals with fashion houses like Telfar, Rare Breed, and UGG. The team has a special rate card for brand partnerships with Ellie, akin to the influencer deals in social media writ large. In 2024, Ellie released her own colorway of the

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

Sabrina 2. Ellie's Character suit was built by Randy Carfagno of Randy Carfagno Productions In her first season, she had a hair bang and a typical mascot style shoes, with anatomically incorrect hand paws Her suit has evolved towards a more danceable shoe with traction pads on her hand so that she is able to perform more advanced dance moves. These modifications were at the request of the performer. Her hair has gone from a simple curl to a floor-length, seafoam-infused braid. The 2024 season saw Ellie wearing into a Jersey Dress and a wide array of designer handbags and Nike shoes. She has "lush eyelashes" and she frequently incorporates wigs and advanced costume changes. Ellie's escorts who hold her bag and support her during game day are called The Stompaz. Flavor Flav and Ellie The Elephant

Notable performances and dance moves

In addition to her court-side antics, and dance moves she is famous for, Ellie has several signature crowd participation moments, including the Ellie Stomp, The Ellie Wave, and the "Gotta Get Up" song that plays during the late game t-shirt toss.Her skillfulness at

has been noted in

the New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

. Ellie has performed notable halftime tributes to such artists as Lil Kim,

Missy Elliot Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, who were part ...

, Beyonce,

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

Mary J Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", her accolades include nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy A ...

, and others. During the media tour after the Liberty's 2024 WNBA Championship win, Ellie graced the stage with

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

, NBA Commissioner

Adam Silver Adam Silver (born April 25, 1962) is an American lawyer and sports executive who is serving as the fifth and current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined the NBA in 1992 and has held various positions within the ...

, New York Attorney General Leticia James, and Rappers

Lil Mama Niatia Jessica Kirkland (born October 4, 1989), better known by her stage name Lil Mama, is an American rapper. She experienced top 10 ''Billboard'' placements at 17 with her debut album '' VYP (Voice of the Young People)'' (2008), which debuted ...

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...

, and

Remy Ma Reminisce Kioni Mackie ( Smith; born May 30, 1980), known professionally as Remy Ma, is an American rapper and songwriter. Discovered by the late rapper Big Pun, she came to prominence for her work as a member of Fat Joe's group, Terror Squad ...

. Disgraced New York City Mayor

Eric Adams Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is an American politician and former police officer who has served as the 110th mayor of New York City since 2022. Adams was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and then the New York City P ...

was made to hold her purse during a ceremony at

New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...

while Ellie performed a dance breakdown.

Honors and Awards

At the 2024

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...

, Ellie became the first professional sports mascot with a dedicated float in the annual spectacle, riding with The Timeless Torches,

Breanna Stewart Breanna Mackenzie Stewart ( ; Born, August 27, 1994), nicknamed "Stewie", is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is one of the most accomplished women in ...

Jonquel Jones Jonquel Orthea Jones (born January 5, 1994) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft. Since Ma ...

, Nyara Sabally, and

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (born October 29, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for Rutgers University. Early life and c ...

. In addition to winning a Glamour Women of the Year award, Ellie the Elephant was named one of 2024's 63 most stylish people by the New York Times, the only anthropomorphic character to make the list.

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

's 2024 Year-End Approval Matrix featured Ellie all the way in the lower right corner, at the apex of "Lowbrow" and "Brilliant"

References

External links