NEW YORK CITY - The New York Liberty turned Barclays Center into a celebration of Latino New York this week, bringing together Broadway, Brooklyn art, salsa, dembow, and community organizations for the team's annual Noche Latina.
Held during the Liberty's Sept. 21 game against the Atlanta Dream, the celebration stretched well beyond basketball, with programming designed to reflect the different cultures and generations that make up New York's Latino community. The game took place as Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations were unfolding across the city.
"At the New York Liberty, we see every game day as an opportunity to use our platform to bring fans closer to the people, cultures, and voices that make New York so special," New York Liberty Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson said.
One of the night's most visible collaborations brought a piece of Broadway's Buena Vista Social Club to Brooklyn. A cast member from the Tony Award-winning musical performed the national anthem, while the Liberty's Torch Patrol entertainment team took the court during halftime with original choreography inspired by the production, which draws on the music and legacy of Cuba's Buena Vista Social Club.
"For Noche Latina, we created a special experience rooted in collaboration," Stephenson said, pointing to the partnership with the team behind Broadway's Buena Vista Social Club for the halftime performance.
The celebration also crossed generations. The Timeless Torches, the Liberty's dance team featuring performers 40 and older, incorporated salsa and dembow into their appearance, highlighting both traditional and contemporary sounds associated with Latino and Caribbean communities.
"The Timeless Torches also brought the celebration to life through music and movement, celebrating the Latinx dancers and their heritage," Stephenson said.
Brooklyn's Latino community was represented off the court as well.
The Liberty partnered with Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Fanesha Fabre to create a limited-edition Noche Latina T-shirt informed by Fabre's Dominican heritage and artistic perspective. Her work frequently centers identity and the experience of being a Latina in New York, making the collaboration particularly connected to the borough where the Liberty play.
Stephenson said the shirt was intended to reflect both Fabre's "Dominican heritage and creative voice," part of an approach that relied on Latino artists and performers rather than treating the night simply as a themed sporting event.
Fans could also visit a Noche Latina photo booth featuring the Liberty's 30th-season backdrop and connect with Mixteca, a Brooklyn-based organization that works with Mexican and Latin American immigrant families in New York. Other Latino businesses and organizations spotlighted during the event included Valorosa, Help Peru, Casa Lumbre Spirits and Cork + Knife Communications.
The combination reflected the diversity of Latino New York itself, where identities from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America coexist rather than forming a single culture.
The evening also attracted several recognizable names to Barclays Center. Brooklyn-born actress Rosie Perez attended, along with Queen Latifah and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai.
Noche Latina comes during a milestone season for the Liberty. The franchise is celebrating its 30th season and has already clinched a place in the 2026 WNBA playoffs. The postseason begins Sept. 27, according to the team's schedule.
The Liberty ultimately lost Monday's game to the Dream, 95-84, but the cultural programming surrounding it reflected something increasingly visible across professional sports: Hispanic Heritage Month events are becoming opportunities for teams to connect their platforms with the communities surrounding their arenas, rather than simply adding Spanish-language signage to game night.
In Brooklyn, that meant bringing together Dominican visual art, Cuban music, salsa and dembow, immigrant organizations and performers from different generations under one roof.
For the Liberty, Stephenson said that kind of representation is not separate from the game-day experience. "These moments are central to how we approach game day," she said, "creating meaningful opportunities for fans to see their communities reflected, celebrated and represented at the Liberty."
.png?w=600)
