Liberty Front Office Visits Harvard Business School

This week, the New York Liberty front office brought the business of women’s basketball into the classroom at Harvard Business School, offering students an inside look at how intentional leadership and long-term investment can transform a professional sports organization. Liberty Governor Clara Wu Tsai, CEO Keia Clarke, and General Manager Jonathan Kolb joined Harvard Business School faculty and students to discuss The New York Liberty: Building the Business of Women’s Basketball, a case study that explores the franchise’s rise to the top of the WNBA.

The discussion focused on how ownership vision, executive leadership and brand-building helped elevate the Liberty on and off the court, while positioning the franchise for long-term success.

Inside the Harvard Case Study

The 27-page case study was authored by Anita Elberse, a Harvard Business School professor and globally recognized expert on the business of entertainment, media, and sports, in collaboration with Mackenzi Curtin. Released over the summer, the case provides an in-depth look at the Liberty’s transformation following the 2019 purchase of the team by Clara Wu Tsai and her husband, Joe Tsai.

It offers behind-the-scenes insight into how Wu Tsai reshaped the organization by investing in facilities, prioritizing player experience, strengthening leadership infrastructure, and reimagining the Liberty brand to resonate with fans, sponsors, and the broader cultural landscape.

From Modest Sale to Massive Valuation

When the Tsai family purchased the Liberty from James Dolan six years ago for approximately $10–15 million, the franchise was operating well below its potential. Just five years later, the Liberty are now valued at roughly $450 million, representing one of the most dramatic value increases in professional sports. The case highlights how that growth was driven by deliberate choices: investing in people, prioritizing player experience, modernizing operations, and treating the women’s game with the same seriousness and ambition traditionally reserved for men’s sports.

With WNBA expansion fees hitting $250 million, two sales stick out:

1. Mark Davis bought the Las Vegas Aces for $2M in 2021 — now worth $290M.

2. Joe and Clara Wu Tsai bought the NY Liberty from James Dolan for ~$10M in 2019 — now worth $420M.

(Valuation data from @Sportico) pic.twitter.com/Lm6B7VJinz
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 30, 2025

Building Infrastructure and Community

Earlier this year, the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center opened directly across the street from Barclays Center, creating a year-round hub for basketball development and community engagement. Looking ahead, the Liberty are set to open a state-of-the-art, dedicated practice facility in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2027. It will be one of the most advanced facilities in women’s professional sports. These investments reflect a broader strategy: building an ecosystem around the team that supports elite performance while embedding the franchise deeply within the local community.

Leading the Growth of the WNBA

As a founding WNBA franchise, the New York Liberty have long been part of the league’s history. Today, they are also one of its clearest leaders - setting the standard for investment, infrastructure, and ambition. By sharing their journey at Harvard Business School, the Liberty front office underscored a powerful message: when women’s sports are backed by vision and resources, the returns - competitive, cultural, and commercial - can be extraordinary.

The New York Liberty: Building the Business of Women’s Basketball

Make sure you bookmark Liberty on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Inside the Harvard Case Study

From Modest Sale to Massive Valuation

Building Infrastructure and Community

Leading the Growth of the WNBA

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