It’s not an exaggeration to say Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx was one of the greatest Finals games of all time. Between a monumental comeback by the Lynx, an improbable four-point play, one big missed free throw and an overtime that had more swings than a school playground, the 17,000-plus fans in Brooklyn got their money’s worth.
That includes a fair share of celebrities. As the WNBA soars to new heights in popularity, big games have become a destination for famous faces from all industries. Game 1 alone featured appearances from Aubrey Plaza and Meek Mill along with a halftime performance from Rick Ross.
With the Finals continuing this weekend, more celebs are sure to show up courtside (or on CeLiberty Row at Barclays Center, home of the Liberty).
Keep scrolling to see all the celebrities taking in a heavyweight Finals bout between the WNBA’s two best teams:
Aubrey Plaza
True to form, Plaza pretended to be reading a book when the Barclays Center scoreboard showed her at Game 1. She feigned annoyance at the disruption.
Meek Mill
Wearing gray sweats and a black baseball cap, Meek sat courtside at Game 1 between Gayle King and Liberty co-owner Clara Wu Tsai.
Rick Ross
The Liberty have brought all the stars out for their halftime shows during the playoffs, pulling in Ja Rule, Cash Cobain and Bay Swag in earlier rounds. For Game 1 of the Finals, it was Ross, who electrified the crowd with a performance alongside the arguably more famous Ellie the Elephant.
Spike Lee
Lee made headlines when he shared a moment in-game with Sabrina Ionescu during the semifinals, sparking Ionescu to say, “I felt like New York was just injected into my veins.” He returned for Game 1 of the Finals, wearing a Ionescu jersey and Yankees cap.
Gayle King
King became a fixture at Liberty games toward the end of the season and was predictably courtside again at the Finals.
Jason Sudekis
Sudekis is a die-hard Liberty fan who attended nearly every game during the regular season, and the WNBA Finals were no different. He fired up the crowd during a timeout when cameras caught him on the jumbotron.
Mark Vientos
Fresh off his most recent heroics for the New York Mets in the 2024 MLB Postseason, the third baseman used his time off between series to take in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Barclays Center showed his go-ahead home run in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and the crowd erupted when Vientos appeared on camera.
Paul Rabil
Considered one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, Rabil is now president of the Premier Lacrosse League and a passionate Liberty fan. He took in Game 1 courtside and, according to his Instagram, even got to meet Ellie.
