Barclays Center – New York Liberty
- Paul Baker
- Jul 8
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 9
Photos by Paul Baker and Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14
Barclays Center 620 Atlantic Ave New York, NY 11217
Year Opened: 2012 Capacity: 19,000
Light It Up For The Champs
The New York Liberty are one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA and the 2024 league champions. This title marked the team’s first in six trips to the league finals. Despite the Liberty’s status as a marquee team in a marquee city, the squad has been nomadic within the five boroughs and beyond. Over their 28 seasons, the Liberty has called Madison Square Garden, the Prudential Center and Westchester County Center home. The team has even played home games at Radio City Music Hall and Arthur Ashe Stadium. Starting in 2019, coinciding with the purchase of the team by Joe and Clara Wu Tsai (owners of the Brooklyn Nets), the team has played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Barclays Center was conceived by Bruce Ratner after his purchase of the New Jersey Nets in 2004. His goals were twofold: to provide a centerpiece to his Pacific Park commercial and residential redevelopment project, and to return major league sports to the borough of Brooklyn, which had lacked a team since the Dodgers moved away in 1957. The arena was initially scheduled to open in 2006, but local opposition and financial hurdles delayed construction until 2012.
In 2007 it was announced that London-based banking group Barclays had purchased naming rights to the facility for $400 million over 20 years. This deal was later renegotiated but still surpassed the $200 million figure. Today the Barclays Center is home to the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. In the past the arena has also served as home to the New York Islanders and the G-League’s Long Island Nets. It is currently the nation’s highest-grossing arena outside of sporting events.
Food & Beverage 4
The Barclays Center aims to incorporate authentic Brooklyn foods into the concession experience at the arena. Each stand features selections from local restaurants, vendors and suppliers from throughout the borough.
Famous Brooklyn names such as Nathan’s Hot Dogs, Junior’s Cheesecakes and Table 87 Pizza can be found at concession stands. For a departure from typical arena fare, check out Seoul Bird Fried Chicken, Italian favorites from Parm, Paisano’s Burgers, or barbeque from Mable’s Smokehouse. The Brooklyn Market presented by National Grid features food from a rotating group of local and minority owned businesses.
Pepsi products are featured at Barclays Center. As you might imagine, there’s an impressive selection of adult beverages available throughout the arena. Beers from local Sixpoint and Brooklyn Breweries are featured here.
No matter what kind of food you’re in the mood for, you’ll be sure to find it here. Just be warned, you’ll be paying high-end prices for your meal at the Barclays Center. The exorbitant pricing is what keeps this category from a maximum score.
Atmosphere 5
The Barclays Center has worked hard to cultivate a unique, “Brooklyn” attitude in its game day presentation to set it apart from the rest of the facilities in New York. Whether these efforts work for you will likely depend entirely on your date of birth. Even at a Liberty game, the staff lean hard into this Brooklyn attitude. The music is loud, constant, and beat-driven. Even the Liberty’s awesomely unique mascot, Ellie the Elephant, exudes a street attitude, twerking her way through the game from opening tip to final buzzer.
If you’ve been to an NBA game recently, much of what happens at a Liberty game will feel very familiar to you. The music is turned way up, to the point where it even drowns out the loud New York fans. The video board is incorporated into the presentation, stats are found on the ribbon boards, and the Barclay Center’s emcee and DJ make sure you don’t forget where you are. The team employs a dance squad, the Timeless Torches, a group of dancers all over the age of 40 who perform during stoppages.
Stadium Journey visited Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon, and kudos to the Liberty staff for incorporating plenty of kid-friendly activities into the day. Stepping in for the Timeless Torches were the Li’l Torches, a group of dancers aged 6-14. There were contests and games during play stoppages geared towards the younger fans in attendance, and there were special giveaways for kids in attendance.
Neighborhood 5
Barclays Center is located at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush, right at the heart of Brooklyn. As you might imagine, the list of dining and lodging options is far too extensive to list here. The Atlantic Terminal Mall is located right across the street from the arena, and for a more authentic local experience, check out the pubs on 5th Street or further down Flatbush. Suffice it to say if you’re looking for something, you’ll find it. This is New York City, after all.
Prospect Park is a few blocks south of the venue and worth a visit if you have the time, with the Brooklyn Museum and Botanical Garden found near the northeast corner of the park. During the summer months of the WNBA season, the New York Mets play a dozen miles away at Citi Field in Queens, and the minor-league Brooklyn Cyclones play 8 miles away at Maimonides Park at Coney Island. The New York Yankees are just 15 miles away at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
As you might imagine, the area around the Barclays Center is extremely busy, especially during game days. Concerns about safety around the arena are a bit overstated, but as always, be aware of your surroundings, especially in a big city like Brooklyn.
Fans 5
All the teams in the WNBA have experienced a surge in popularity and attendance in recent years, and the Liberty is no exception. In years past, only the lower bowl of the arena was opened for games, and not all concession stands were open. During Stadium Journey’s most recent visit in July 2025, the entire arena was accessible, and all points of sale were opened.
Fans here are extremely proud that the Liberty are calling Brooklyn home, and are boisterous in their support of the local squad. With WNBA games far more affordable than their NBA counterparts, you’re more likely to see families at the Barclays Center taking in the action, particularly for an afternoon game.
Thus far in the 2025 season, New York ranks third in the WNBA with an average attendance of just under 16,000 fans per game. This marks an increase of 3,000 fans per game over 2024, is double what the team drew just two years ago, and triple what they drew in 2022. We won’t talk about the team’s average attendance in 2021, which was under 2,000 fans per game.
Access 4
Your opinion on access to Barclays Center will entirely depend on whether you are driving to the arena or taking public transportation. The Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center station sits right next to the arena, as does the terminus of the Long Island Railroad. Access to the rest of New York City and Long Island is quick and easy.
The same cannot be said if you are driving to Barclays Center. The arena lacks a dedicated parking facility of any type. No garage, no lots. Visiting fans will need to search the area for a place to put their car. Surprisingly, there is plenty of on-street parking in the vicinity of the arena. Finding it may be difficult, but not impossible. Dealing with the New York traffic, however, is another story. Getting to, and even more troublesome, away from Barclays Center is a chore, to put it mildly.
Access within the facility is excellent. Aside from the typical lines that form around security checks, you can get into the building fairly easily when doors open 90 minutes before tipoff. Concourses are wide and there are numerous points of sale, ensuring that lines move quickly and you can get where you need to go without difficulty.
Critics of Barclays Center will point to the monochromatic color scheme and lack of lighting, which led to the facility’s nickname, the “Darklays Center.” Agreed, it’s not the most visually stimulating place to wander, and if you’re sitting in the upper reaches of the seating bowl you may not be able to read your program, but these don’t really interfere with the enjoyment of the game.
Return on Investment 2
This brings us to the weakest link of the Liberty game day experience; value. You’ll be paying NBA prices for parking and concessions here. For example, two Nathan’s hot dogs, a large popcorn and two large sodas cost this writer a whopping $53. Parking in one of the small garages near the Barclays Center cost $66. The sticker shock in Brooklyn is real.
Luckily, you may be able to catch a break when purchasing tickets. Upper-level seats can be found for around $40-50, and even less on the secondary market. Want to sit in the lower level? Be prepared to shell out triple digits for your seats.
Stadium Journey recommends using public transportation, eating at local restaurants and searching for deals on the secondary market to increase the value of going to a Liberty game.
Extras 4
The design of the arena deserves an extra point. The signature oculus, visible from planes as they land nearby, is unique in sporting facilities. The flagpole from Ebbets Field is planted at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.
Photos and artwork throughout the arena commemorate Brooklyn’s sporting past and local talent. Be sure to check out the photos of “The Black Five” and the “Diary of Brooklyn” mural by Jose Paris, among others.
An extra point is awarded for the team’s mascot, Ellie the Elephant. Why an elephant? When the Brooklyn Bridge opened, P.T. Barnum drove a herd of 21 elephants across the span to prove its sturdiness. Also, “Ellie” is a play on Ellis Island.
A final extra point is awarded for all the uniquely Brooklyn touches that permeate the facility, in design, décor and during the game presentation.
Final Thoughts
It’s been a long time since New York City has seen a hoops title, and fans are showing their appreciation to the Liberty with unprecedented support. Brooklyn sports fans are proud to call this squad their own, and you can expect to see the team supported with open arms and full throats when you visit the Barclays Center.
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