A new public art installation titled “The Liberty Portraits: A Monument to the 2024 Champions,” created by LaToya Ruby Frazier, was unveiled this morning to honor the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty. The work is displayed on the Barclays Center plaza.
Frazier, an acclaimed contemporary artist experienced in many different mediums, created her first outdoor work for this project. The installation features double-sided, nine-foot-tall portraits of each player on the 2024 roster in architectural display cases. One side depicts the player in uniform; the other shows the player with their chosen family.
To honor the Liberty and their chosen family in the most authentic way, Frazier made the portraits in locations that hold special meaning for the players. She traveled to many places significant to them, including the Bahamas, where she spent time with Jonquel Jones and her family.
Frazier adds storytelling elements to her art, and each portrait includes a first-person testimony on a text panel from a loved one selected by the player.
The scale of the portraits was inspired by the Statue of Liberty, and the artwork aims to celebrate the team as professional athletes. Frazier created the installation to reflect the power of female leadership, influence, diversity, and a love of basketball and family.
“This collaboration extends beyond fandom and the spectacle of sport; it’s an act of celebrating and bearing witness to the full humanity of these championship players — their struggles, their triumphs, their lives outside the arena,” Frazier said. “I was inspired by the Statue of Liberty’s eternal promise: freedom, hope, and the vision of a brighter future to enlighten the world. I’m interested in creating a bridge between the fans and the team, deepening a sense of compassion and commanding the dignity and respect the team deserves. These portraits are intended to stand as beacons of women’s leadership and the power of sisterhood.”
BSE Global, the parent company of the Liberty, the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, and Liberty Vice Chair and Governor Clara Wu Tsai will keep Frazier’s work on display for the entire 2025 WNBA season.
The project will launch a tradition for BSE Global of showcasing temporary public art on the plaza. A group of esteemed art world leaders nominated artists and selected the next installation for the 2026 season, which will be announced in the fall. Wu Tsai also plans to introduce new artists and their work inside Barclays Center.
“It’s an honor for Barclays Center to be home to LaToya Ruby Frazier’s first public art installation — and for the New York Liberty to be her chosen subject,” Wu Tsai said. “This is the inaugural work of a new art program designed to celebrate artists and the creative spirit of Brooklyn.”
