May 16, 2025 • 18 mins
On this episode of Her Playbook, Madelyn Burke sits down with the CEO of the New York Liberty, Keia Clarke. Keia discusses how she first got interested in the sports industry, the Liberty’s journey to the WNBA Championship last season, and the growth of the WNBA in the last few years.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to an all new episode of Her Playbook, Brought
to you Mike Kendra Scott. Her playbook as a podcast
highlighting inspiring stories of women in sport and business.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Today.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm thrilled to be joined by Keiah Clark, the CEO
of the w NBA champion Liberty.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I've got to say, the growth of not just the Liberty,
but the WNBA has been exponential over the last few years.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
What have you noticed in your time in the league.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Yeah, well, I'll start by saying it feels great.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
This growth, this momentum has been a long time coming.
You know, when I think about my career and you
mentioned with the Liberty and the w between those two entities,
I'm nearly twenty years in the game, just in women's basketball,
So this moment feels incredible. And what I've noticed most,
I think is that it's the cultural shift. It's being
(00:50):
a part of the mainstream conversation when you work in
it and you've got your head down and your you know,
sort of thriving and wanting you know, visibility, wanting to
amplify what the women do. But it just wasn't resonating,
wasn't landing in that way. To see what's happened over
the last two or three years in pop culture tunnel fits,
it's translated to incredible viewership increases, corporate partnership, investment from brands,
(01:18):
investments from brands that want to do work with us.
All of that tide rising at the same time is
just remarkable. But I'd have to say there's a lot
of people, there's a true foundation of folks who saw
this and wanted it and worked toward it. And I'm
just so happy to still be around the sport when
it's happening.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, and you mentioned still being around the sport. You
played college basketball, When did you fall in love with
the game?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
I did, believe it or not.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
My mom asked me when I was about seven and
a half eight years old if I wanted to go
to basketball camp, and I said, nah, I just played
for fun. I just like to dribble my ball in
the neighborhood and shoot baskets. And immediately the following summer,
the bug bit me. I started watching basketball on television.
(02:02):
I was playing in the neighborhood mostly with boys. But
you know, when I say the bug bit me. I
completely fell in love right around eleven years old, and
it's never stopped.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
The ball is life, The ball is life.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You got your first job at the Hall of Fame.
That's a cool first job.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
How did that come together?
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah, you know, happenstance. Quite frankly, I thought I was
actually going to be a GA for a tiny stent.
I was contemplating going into coaching, wasn't sure what I
wanted to do, wasn't sure if sports was right for me,
and ultimately didn't get the job. It was my first
moment of literal rejection, and it was at my alma mater.
(02:40):
But fortunate enough, I'm from Connecticut. I moved back home
and I'm not too far from Springfield. I had gone
to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame, you know, as
just a young hooper pretty much every summer with my mom,
and she happened to know someone who worked there and
we ran in to it was the CFO of the company, so,
(03:02):
you know, like parents do. She said, well, Kiya just
graduated from college, and I'm like, yeah, right, this guy's
going to get me a job. Literally three four weeks later,
I was.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
An account executive.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
I was hired as account executive to essentially sell tickets
to the museum. So not quite sports yet, but a
sports museum. It was sports adjacent. And I just learned
so many, you know, fundamental tools about what it meant to,
you know, be in a business space, be in a
corporate space that lent itself to sports and athletics and
(03:33):
most notably the history of the game. I don't know
if there could have been a better beginning to my
career than to spend my lunch breaks walking through the museum,
you know, learning about the history of this game that
I love so much.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, and that redirection of the rejection, right, it's almost
like a blessing and seeing that there are so many
more possibilities within the world of sports business. Absolutely, And
you know, after that you took your talents to the
league office.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
How did that transition come about?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Another cool story and I often share this one with students.
I wrote my thesis at NYU when I was studying
for my master's in Sports management on the WNBA. I
had never been to a game. I felt like the
target marketing was missing me. So I wrote this advanced
special project thirty page paper on the league and my
(04:22):
coach from college actually introduced me to someone who worked
at the league. So again right place, right time, perfect
conversation because I was so.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Hard on the w NBA.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I think in that paper she was intrigued, I think
a little bit to maybe prove me wrong, maybe show
me that it wasn't as easy as some may think.
But that woman who I presented the paper to ended
up maybe four or five months later, calling me up
and saying she had an entry level role. So I
got my start in team marketing and business operations at
(04:56):
the league office.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
But from the start I focused on the double NBA.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You know, it was an NBA department and NBA job.
But at that time there were very few people who
were focused specifically on the women's side, and I was
happy to do it, happy to learn, and just became
a sponge.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Throughout those years.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
There were some of the smartest folks and people who
still work in the industry were at the NBA at
that time and really just you know, lend themselves to
me and you know, taught me a ton about what
it meant to look at the franchise business and how
leagues actually support franchises.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, and getting that background and Marketing is so important too,
especially in the W Now with the Liberty, can we
talk about Ellie. Ellie is a movement and what a
unique marketing tool she is, this flambuoyant elephant that has
dance moves that rival video dancers. I just need to
know everything about Ellie.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
All things Ellie.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I mean, Ellie, as you said, is a is a movement,
She's a vibe. I have to say that from a
cultural standpoint, I think it's really the Brooklyn flavor, the
ability to dance, but the ability for many types of
people to see themselves in Ellie that makes her so cool.
(06:16):
We are so proud of where that portion of our
brand has gone, and we just continued to develop it.
Who thought that a mascot could pull off the things
that Ellie's been able to pull off, you know over time.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
We're incredibly proud of it.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
And what's interesting, and I think many people don't know,
The Liberty had a mascot previous to Ellie that was
very beloved. Maddie was a Golden Retriever Ish dog. Yep,
name Maddie, but Maddie was named after Madison Square Garden.
So in the move we made a decision, and it
wound up being a decision that continues to pay dividends
(06:51):
in terms of just fan engagement.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I can't say enough about.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Ellie really appealing to young people, appealing to growing adults,
appealing to retirees. There's something in it, and there's something
that resonates completely that we will continue to cultivate.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
And a lot of people might think, how is an
elephant New York? But Ellie is Ellis Island?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Right, Ellie is named after Ellis Island. But there's also
another connection point. So when we were researching what a
new mascot could be and you mentioned New York, it's like,
we don't really want to rat what other New York animals,
animals are associated with New York. We didn't want to
(07:32):
pigeon as a mascot. And I actually happened to come
across a story it may have been in the Times,
actually about the opening one hundred years ago of the
Brooklyn Bridge. So we were a team migrating from Manhattan
by way of Westchester to Brooklyn, and this story actually
spoke of people being afraid to cross the Brooklyn Bridge
(07:54):
when it opened, and there being a stunt where a
herd of elephant was paraded across the ridge to prove
out its safety.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
That's so cool.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
So one thing led to another and it's like, oh
my god, this is a cool connection point. But elephants
also represent strength and intellect and great memories. We're an
original team and we have a legacy, so we just
sort of spun off of that. Little did we know, though,
that Ellie was going to be the complete vibe on
(08:22):
the dance floor that she is. So people want to
try their hand at a battle, people want to try
their hand at a dance lesson.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
We're here for it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And Ellie has done so much for the liberty, but
the league as a whole, the marketing of it has
grown exponentially. The twenty fifth season, the orange hoodie campaign.
I feel like that was a turning point. Was that,
in your point of view as somebody close to it,
something that really catapulted the w Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I think, you know, just as we're talking here about
the current moment and the mainstream storylines around women's sports
as a whole, right around the w NBA, When I
think back to that twenty fifth season, the orange hoodie
and people wanting to not just say they support the
w or buy a ticket to a game, but to
(09:13):
wear that logo in bright orange on your back, I
think meant a ton. We can't neglect either that, you know,
one of the greatest to ever do it, Kobe Bryant.
You know, that image of him and his daughter sitting courtside,
you know, at games wearing that hoodie was iconic and
it was just the catalyst I think we need it,
not just you know about the thread, but about the conversation.
(09:34):
What does it mean to actually show up for these
women who are amazing at what they do? And you know,
as I said, he was a we all know, a
personal confidant to many of the players in this league,
was training his own daughter, you know, to to be
you know, one of the highest caliber players ever.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
So you know, it was a special time.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I think, you know, like all things again, it's a
it's a catalyst laundry list of things though that were
happening at that time that sort of led to that moment.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I think that you know, sort of brought us where
we are today.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Now you've said in the past everything is sports marketing
when it comes to how you amplify sports and athletes.
How would you describe just like what goes into marketing
a team or a league.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Yeah, for us, you know, when you think about the
athlete themselves, you have to be player first minded or
it won't come off authentic. Especially in New York. You know,
the fans will tell you if something feels like it's performative,
like it if it doesn't resonate with what the brand is.
And as an original team, I feel like we have
a really strong person a really strong responsibility to ensure
(10:42):
that you know, the folks who fell in love with
this team in nineteen ninety seven because you know Tea
Spoon hit that shot or she ran up in the
stands in high five, you know Rosie O'Donnell. It's like
bringing that to the futuristic personification of it is really
what we're charged towards. So being in Brooklyn is different,
(11:02):
new and different for us. The way that our marketing
comes to life is really focused on and it begins
with players, and then it's the authenticity of what the
city represents and that grit and that grind and the
resilience and you know, we have superstars on our team,
but we have a journey women who do what they
need to do to get us to a win.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And I'm so.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Happy they finally got us to the most ultimate wins
in the last season. But you know, if you're fourteen
years with the team, what you know better depiction of
what all those years of bringing together a fan base
who really valued values, what the marketability of the liberty
(11:44):
are it? Just you know, it feels incredible to be
now champions in the WNBA. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Now looking at your role and how it's grown and
expanded and you personally and professionally, who's been a mentor
to you in your career?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah? Several mentors?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
You know, I know many people refer to them as
board of you know, who is your personal board of directors?
And you know, I look at it sort of in
three different categories. There's my family, most notably my mom.
I've already mentioned her two or three times in this interview.
She'll find this and she'll listen to it. So I
have to make sure. But just someone who can be
(12:18):
she is someone who I can vent to who I
could have a completely in depth technical conversation about things
that may be stressful at work or things that might
be really great at work, and She may or may
not know the difference, but I know she's in my corner. Likewise,
I have several teammates people I played with in high school,
people I played with in college who aren't in professional sports.
(12:38):
They think, you know, everything I do is the coolest
thing ever, and you know, to share with them sort
of a behind the scenes look or you know, challenging days,
great days. To have just a cohort of people who
know the game and understand how much this means to
me from a personal standpoint and from a passion standpoint,
is really incredible and remarkable. But the key piece of
(12:59):
my border because it's definitely folks who I've worked with
along these twenty years in and around you know, the
teams and the sports. So most notably, I would say,
you know, the former commissioners of this league have been
just amazing. Don to Orange and Val Ackerman alike are
people who I can call up and just you know,
(13:19):
bounce ideas off of. You know, they were a part
of the pioneership of this league. They built the groundwork
of where we are today. So spent a lot of time.
But there's many, many, many colleagues that I call on
a week week to week basis, on a month to
month basis, there's people I don't call for you know,
a year, or we may not connect, but there's always
this sort of uh sisterhood or this you know, camaraderie
(13:41):
about what we do, because I think there's a perception
that it is easy and when things are going well,
that everything is going well, and it just is great
to have you know, sort of that you know, realistic
truth serum type conversations behind the scenes. But definitely helped me,
help helped me through a lot of great days. But
(14:02):
also the folks who called as soon as we want
are the people who were standing in the audience and
during the parade just you know, great time.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Now, when you look at I mean, obviously you've got
a lot of people in your corner, but you're in
a lot of people's corner. I'd imagine as the CEO
of a WNBA team, not just a woman, but a
woman of color in a high position in a league
made up of about eighty percent black women.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
How important is that representation?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Yeah, incredibly important, and it's something that I don't take lightly.
I didn't have a lot of women of color to
look toward when I was, you know, working my way
through sports, working my way through corporate America, and this
notion that you know, I'm now CEO or leading a team,
(14:49):
I'd never forget sort of those coordinator days, those manager days,
those days of first managing people, the days of building
a team. And I like to think that I lead
with a lot lot of empathy because of that. You know,
I look at a lot of my staff and it's like, well,
sort of done every job here, So you know, I
know how you're feeling, or maybe I don't know how
(15:09):
you're feeling because we're in a new time and space.
But we can take a time out and we can
have a conversation, we can work through things, and it
really is about getting people to be their best in
the workplace. So I think that representation just as a
human being. And then as you mentioned, you add on
the intersection of being a woman and a woman in
women's sports, and then being a woman of color. I
(15:29):
think it's incredibly important, and which is why you know,
sometimes my team even says, what you're too accessible. You
take all the calls and you do all the informational interviews.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
It's important. It's important.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It is so important and also, like you said, the
human being element of it, because yes, you are a CEO,
but you're also a mother and a wife and a daughter.
How do you balance all of your roles and take
care of your business but also yourself personally?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
If I'm being really real, it's it's always going to
be a work in progress. I think I was given
just the biggest nugget of wisdom when I was entering
into leadership by someone at a at a former company,
someone who worked in people practices, who said, you know,
(16:16):
you're going to miss some things at work because you
prioritized home. You're going to miss some things at home
because you prioritized work.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
But you need to be okay with that.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
You have to find a way to give yourself grace
to know that you're intentional and your giving your best
when you're in each of the distinct places, but that
you're no less a mom or no less a professional
at either time. It took me years to even have
an ounce of that grace that that person was describing.
(16:47):
And I'm super proud that you know, my kids are
actually twelve and eleven.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
It sounds weird at this time of year. My daughter
will be thirteen soon.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
But we're just now at the point where this is
a this is a work in progress for the whole family,
and not that it's like work for them, but it's
like mom has a career and dad has a career,
and I've told them, you know, with a big smile
and with every single morsel of me, I hope you
find something that you love to do when you grow up,
(17:15):
as much as mommy loves what she does. So this
is not that I love you less. I want you
to find your thing and I'm demonstrating that I'm gonna
model that to you, and we're in It helps when
you get to be on a parade float because I
got a little a little I bought a little time
with them, I think in terms of you know, this
being all worth it, you know, for the wins, but
(17:36):
also it was just they're two super fans. They can't
get enough of not just the liberty, but of the
WNBA of other women's sports.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
My son consumes all in sports.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
It's just sort of like, you know, not in a
forceful way, but to watch a fan become a fan two.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
That you bore, it's something really special.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
So you know, it gives me different, active, an insight
when I think about our fan engagement with you know,
the youth demographic, even you know, it's it's a beautiful
thing to have a team.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Kia Clark, thank you so much for taking the time today.
Kea Clark, CEO of the w NBA champion New York Liberty,
joining us today on her playbook, Brought to you by
Kendra Scott,
Welcome to an all new episode of Her Playbook, Brought
to you Mike Kendra Scott. Her playbook as a podcast
highlighting inspiring stories of women in sport and business.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Today.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm thrilled to be joined by Keiah Clark, the CEO
of the w NBA champion Liberty.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I've got to say, the growth of not just the Liberty,
but the WNBA has been exponential over the last few years.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
What have you noticed in your time in the league.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Yeah, well, I'll start by saying it feels great.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
This growth, this momentum has been a long time coming.
You know, when I think about my career and you
mentioned with the Liberty and the w between those two entities,
I'm nearly twenty years in the game, just in women's basketball,
So this moment feels incredible. And what I've noticed most,
I think is that it's the cultural shift. It's being
(00:50):
a part of the mainstream conversation when you work in
it and you've got your head down and your you know,
sort of thriving and wanting you know, visibility, wanting to
amplify what the women do. But it just wasn't resonating,
wasn't landing in that way. To see what's happened over
the last two or three years in pop culture tunnel fits,
it's translated to incredible viewership increases, corporate partnership, investment from brands,
(01:18):
investments from brands that want to do work with us.
All of that tide rising at the same time is
just remarkable. But I'd have to say there's a lot
of people, there's a true foundation of folks who saw
this and wanted it and worked toward it. And I'm
just so happy to still be around the sport when
it's happening.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, and you mentioned still being around the sport. You
played college basketball, When did you fall in love with
the game?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
I did, believe it or not.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
My mom asked me when I was about seven and
a half eight years old if I wanted to go
to basketball camp, and I said, nah, I just played
for fun. I just like to dribble my ball in
the neighborhood and shoot baskets. And immediately the following summer,
the bug bit me. I started watching basketball on television.
(02:02):
I was playing in the neighborhood mostly with boys. But
you know, when I say the bug bit me. I
completely fell in love right around eleven years old, and
it's never stopped.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
The ball is life, The ball is life.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
You got your first job at the Hall of Fame.
That's a cool first job.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
How did that come together?
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah, you know, happenstance. Quite frankly, I thought I was
actually going to be a GA for a tiny stent.
I was contemplating going into coaching, wasn't sure what I
wanted to do, wasn't sure if sports was right for me,
and ultimately didn't get the job. It was my first
moment of literal rejection, and it was at my alma mater.
(02:40):
But fortunate enough, I'm from Connecticut. I moved back home
and I'm not too far from Springfield. I had gone
to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame, you know, as
just a young hooper pretty much every summer with my mom,
and she happened to know someone who worked there and
we ran in to it was the CFO of the company, so,
(03:02):
you know, like parents do. She said, well, Kiya just
graduated from college, and I'm like, yeah, right, this guy's
going to get me a job. Literally three four weeks later,
I was.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
An account executive.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
I was hired as account executive to essentially sell tickets
to the museum. So not quite sports yet, but a
sports museum. It was sports adjacent. And I just learned
so many, you know, fundamental tools about what it meant to,
you know, be in a business space, be in a
corporate space that lent itself to sports and athletics and
(03:33):
most notably the history of the game. I don't know
if there could have been a better beginning to my
career than to spend my lunch breaks walking through the museum,
you know, learning about the history of this game that
I love so much.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, and that redirection of the rejection, right, it's almost
like a blessing and seeing that there are so many
more possibilities within the world of sports business. Absolutely, And
you know, after that you took your talents to the
league office.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
How did that transition come about?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Another cool story and I often share this one with students.
I wrote my thesis at NYU when I was studying
for my master's in Sports management on the WNBA. I
had never been to a game. I felt like the
target marketing was missing me. So I wrote this advanced
special project thirty page paper on the league and my
(04:22):
coach from college actually introduced me to someone who worked
at the league. So again right place, right time, perfect
conversation because I was so.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Hard on the w NBA.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I think in that paper she was intrigued, I think
a little bit to maybe prove me wrong, maybe show
me that it wasn't as easy as some may think.
But that woman who I presented the paper to ended
up maybe four or five months later, calling me up
and saying she had an entry level role. So I
got my start in team marketing and business operations at
(04:56):
the league office.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
But from the start I focused on the double NBA.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You know, it was an NBA department and NBA job.
But at that time there were very few people who
were focused specifically on the women's side, and I was
happy to do it, happy to learn, and just became
a sponge.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Throughout those years.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
There were some of the smartest folks and people who
still work in the industry were at the NBA at
that time and really just you know, lend themselves to
me and you know, taught me a ton about what
it meant to look at the franchise business and how
leagues actually support franchises.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, and getting that background and Marketing is so important too,
especially in the W Now with the Liberty, can we
talk about Ellie. Ellie is a movement and what a
unique marketing tool she is, this flambuoyant elephant that has
dance moves that rival video dancers. I just need to
know everything about Ellie.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
All things Ellie.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I mean, Ellie, as you said, is a is a movement,
She's a vibe. I have to say that from a
cultural standpoint, I think it's really the Brooklyn flavor, the
ability to dance, but the ability for many types of
people to see themselves in Ellie that makes her so cool.
(06:16):
We are so proud of where that portion of our
brand has gone, and we just continued to develop it.
Who thought that a mascot could pull off the things
that Ellie's been able to pull off, you know over time.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
We're incredibly proud of it.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
And what's interesting, and I think many people don't know,
The Liberty had a mascot previous to Ellie that was
very beloved. Maddie was a Golden Retriever Ish dog. Yep,
name Maddie, but Maddie was named after Madison Square Garden.
So in the move we made a decision, and it
wound up being a decision that continues to pay dividends
(06:51):
in terms of just fan engagement.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I can't say enough about.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Ellie really appealing to young people, appealing to growing adults,
appealing to retirees. There's something in it, and there's something
that resonates completely that we will continue to cultivate.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
And a lot of people might think, how is an
elephant New York? But Ellie is Ellis Island?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Right, Ellie is named after Ellis Island. But there's also
another connection point. So when we were researching what a
new mascot could be and you mentioned New York, it's like,
we don't really want to rat what other New York animals,
animals are associated with New York. We didn't want to
(07:32):
pigeon as a mascot. And I actually happened to come
across a story it may have been in the Times,
actually about the opening one hundred years ago of the
Brooklyn Bridge. So we were a team migrating from Manhattan
by way of Westchester to Brooklyn, and this story actually
spoke of people being afraid to cross the Brooklyn Bridge
(07:54):
when it opened, and there being a stunt where a
herd of elephant was paraded across the ridge to prove
out its safety.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
That's so cool.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
So one thing led to another and it's like, oh
my god, this is a cool connection point. But elephants
also represent strength and intellect and great memories. We're an
original team and we have a legacy, so we just
sort of spun off of that. Little did we know, though,
that Ellie was going to be the complete vibe on
(08:22):
the dance floor that she is. So people want to
try their hand at a battle, people want to try
their hand at a dance lesson.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
We're here for it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And Ellie has done so much for the liberty, but
the league as a whole, the marketing of it has
grown exponentially. The twenty fifth season, the orange hoodie campaign.
I feel like that was a turning point. Was that,
in your point of view as somebody close to it,
something that really catapulted the w Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I think, you know, just as we're talking here about
the current moment and the mainstream storylines around women's sports
as a whole, right around the w NBA, When I
think back to that twenty fifth season, the orange hoodie
and people wanting to not just say they support the
w or buy a ticket to a game, but to
(09:13):
wear that logo in bright orange on your back, I
think meant a ton. We can't neglect either that, you know,
one of the greatest to ever do it, Kobe Bryant.
You know, that image of him and his daughter sitting courtside,
you know, at games wearing that hoodie was iconic and
it was just the catalyst I think we need it,
not just you know about the thread, but about the conversation.
(09:34):
What does it mean to actually show up for these
women who are amazing at what they do? And you know,
as I said, he was a we all know, a
personal confidant to many of the players in this league,
was training his own daughter, you know, to to be
you know, one of the highest caliber players ever.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
So you know, it was a special time.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I think, you know, like all things again, it's a
it's a catalyst laundry list of things though that were
happening at that time that sort of led to that moment.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I think that you know, sort of brought us where
we are today.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Now you've said in the past everything is sports marketing
when it comes to how you amplify sports and athletes.
How would you describe just like what goes into marketing
a team or a league.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Yeah, for us, you know, when you think about the
athlete themselves, you have to be player first minded or
it won't come off authentic. Especially in New York. You know,
the fans will tell you if something feels like it's performative,
like it if it doesn't resonate with what the brand is.
And as an original team, I feel like we have
a really strong person a really strong responsibility to ensure
(10:42):
that you know, the folks who fell in love with
this team in nineteen ninety seven because you know Tea
Spoon hit that shot or she ran up in the
stands in high five, you know Rosie O'Donnell. It's like
bringing that to the futuristic personification of it is really
what we're charged towards. So being in Brooklyn is different,
(11:02):
new and different for us. The way that our marketing
comes to life is really focused on and it begins
with players, and then it's the authenticity of what the
city represents and that grit and that grind and the
resilience and you know, we have superstars on our team,
but we have a journey women who do what they
need to do to get us to a win.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And I'm so.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Happy they finally got us to the most ultimate wins
in the last season. But you know, if you're fourteen
years with the team, what you know better depiction of
what all those years of bringing together a fan base
who really valued values, what the marketability of the liberty
(11:44):
are it? Just you know, it feels incredible to be
now champions in the WNBA. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Now looking at your role and how it's grown and
expanded and you personally and professionally, who's been a mentor
to you in your career?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah? Several mentors?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
You know, I know many people refer to them as
board of you know, who is your personal board of directors?
And you know, I look at it sort of in
three different categories. There's my family, most notably my mom.
I've already mentioned her two or three times in this interview.
She'll find this and she'll listen to it. So I
have to make sure. But just someone who can be
(12:18):
she is someone who I can vent to who I
could have a completely in depth technical conversation about things
that may be stressful at work or things that might
be really great at work, and She may or may
not know the difference, but I know she's in my corner. Likewise,
I have several teammates people I played with in high school,
people I played with in college who aren't in professional sports.
(12:38):
They think, you know, everything I do is the coolest
thing ever, and you know, to share with them sort
of a behind the scenes look or you know, challenging days,
great days. To have just a cohort of people who
know the game and understand how much this means to
me from a personal standpoint and from a passion standpoint,
is really incredible and remarkable. But the key piece of
(12:59):
my border because it's definitely folks who I've worked with
along these twenty years in and around you know, the
teams and the sports. So most notably, I would say,
you know, the former commissioners of this league have been
just amazing. Don to Orange and Val Ackerman alike are
people who I can call up and just you know,
(13:19):
bounce ideas off of. You know, they were a part
of the pioneership of this league. They built the groundwork
of where we are today. So spent a lot of time.
But there's many, many, many colleagues that I call on
a week week to week basis, on a month to
month basis, there's people I don't call for you know,
a year, or we may not connect, but there's always
this sort of uh sisterhood or this you know, camaraderie
(13:41):
about what we do, because I think there's a perception
that it is easy and when things are going well,
that everything is going well, and it just is great
to have you know, sort of that you know, realistic
truth serum type conversations behind the scenes. But definitely helped me,
help helped me through a lot of great days. But
(14:02):
also the folks who called as soon as we want
are the people who were standing in the audience and
during the parade just you know, great time.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Now, when you look at I mean, obviously you've got
a lot of people in your corner, but you're in
a lot of people's corner. I'd imagine as the CEO
of a WNBA team, not just a woman, but a
woman of color in a high position in a league
made up of about eighty percent black women.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
How important is that representation?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Yeah, incredibly important, and it's something that I don't take lightly.
I didn't have a lot of women of color to
look toward when I was, you know, working my way
through sports, working my way through corporate America, and this
notion that you know, I'm now CEO or leading a team,
(14:49):
I'd never forget sort of those coordinator days, those manager days,
those days of first managing people, the days of building
a team. And I like to think that I lead
with a lot lot of empathy because of that. You know,
I look at a lot of my staff and it's like, well,
sort of done every job here, So you know, I
know how you're feeling, or maybe I don't know how
(15:09):
you're feeling because we're in a new time and space.
But we can take a time out and we can
have a conversation, we can work through things, and it
really is about getting people to be their best in
the workplace. So I think that representation just as a
human being. And then as you mentioned, you add on
the intersection of being a woman and a woman in
women's sports, and then being a woman of color. I
(15:29):
think it's incredibly important, and which is why you know,
sometimes my team even says, what you're too accessible. You
take all the calls and you do all the informational interviews.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
It's important. It's important.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It is so important and also, like you said, the
human being element of it, because yes, you are a CEO,
but you're also a mother and a wife and a daughter.
How do you balance all of your roles and take
care of your business but also yourself personally?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
If I'm being really real, it's it's always going to
be a work in progress. I think I was given
just the biggest nugget of wisdom when I was entering
into leadership by someone at a at a former company,
someone who worked in people practices, who said, you know,
(16:16):
you're going to miss some things at work because you
prioritized home. You're going to miss some things at home
because you prioritized work.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
But you need to be okay with that.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
You have to find a way to give yourself grace
to know that you're intentional and your giving your best
when you're in each of the distinct places, but that
you're no less a mom or no less a professional
at either time. It took me years to even have
an ounce of that grace that that person was describing.
(16:47):
And I'm super proud that you know, my kids are
actually twelve and eleven.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
It sounds weird at this time of year. My daughter
will be thirteen soon.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
But we're just now at the point where this is
a this is a work in progress for the whole family,
and not that it's like work for them, but it's
like mom has a career and dad has a career,
and I've told them, you know, with a big smile
and with every single morsel of me, I hope you
find something that you love to do when you grow up,
(17:15):
as much as mommy loves what she does. So this
is not that I love you less. I want you
to find your thing and I'm demonstrating that I'm gonna
model that to you, and we're in It helps when
you get to be on a parade float because I
got a little a little I bought a little time
with them, I think in terms of you know, this
being all worth it, you know, for the wins, but
(17:36):
also it was just they're two super fans. They can't
get enough of not just the liberty, but of the
WNBA of other women's sports.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
My son consumes all in sports.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
It's just sort of like, you know, not in a
forceful way, but to watch a fan become a fan two.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
That you bore, it's something really special.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
So you know, it gives me different, active, an insight
when I think about our fan engagement with you know,
the youth demographic, even you know, it's it's a beautiful
thing to have a team.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Kia Clark, thank you so much for taking the time today.
Kea Clark, CEO of the w NBA champion New York Liberty,
joining us today on her playbook, Brought to you by
Kendra Scott,
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