After a raucous crowd propelled the New York Liberty to a victory on Pride Night during their game against the Phoenix Mercury on Friday, July 25th (winning 89 to 76), the defending champions faced a nail-biting performance against the LA Sparks the following night. In a dramatic finish, the Liberty lost at the literal last second after a tightly contested match, with the score tied at 99 points. LA Sparks’ Rickea Jackson delivered a buzzer-beating layup that left Liberty fans stunned, resulting in a final score of 101-99 in favor of the Sparks.
Among the many tense moments throughout the game, one instance became an instant meme classic. Late in the fourth quarter, Sabrina Ionescu shouted, “Tech me! Tech me!” to a referee after a disputed 3-point shot that led to what was deemed “an illegal screen.”
When the technical call was mentioned, Ellie the Elephant, the Liberty mascot, had to be restrained and escorted out of the arena tunnel by her handlers. No amount of fanning or breathing exercises offered by her Stompaz could calm the beloved mascot down or stop her from defending her team.