The WNBA N.Y. Liberty will begin their season at Westchester County Center on Friday, though team Owner Joe Tsai "does not plan to have the team’s sojourn north of New York City continue much longer," according to Kevin Draper of the N.Y. TIMES. Tsai said the Liberty's current situation is "not ideal." As for the Liberty making Barclays Center their home next season, Tsai said, “It’s one of the possibilities." Tsai, who purchased the Liberty in January, "steps into women’s basketball at a fraught time." The WNBA named Cathy Engelbert its new commissioner last week, and the league’s players have been "increasingly vocal about what they consider low pay and poor working conditions." However, none of this "seems to worry Tsai." Instead, he is "focused on building the fan base for the Liberty" and the WNBA as a whole. If that happens, he believes, things like television rights and sponsorships will "suddenly be more valuable." Draper noted Tsai is "not ready" to step away from his responsibilities at Alibaba. Tsai: “Today, I still have day-to-day responsibility ... I suspect that I will delegate those day-to-day responsibilities to people in the company.” When that happens, he will have "more time to focus" on the Nets and the Liberty (N.Y. TIMES, 5/19).
