New York Liberty basketball team honored with ticker-tape parade in Canyon of Heroes

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and their New York teammates were showered with confetti as the Liberty celebrated winning the WNBA title in the Canyon of Heroes in downtown Manhattan.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined the thousands who lined the streets on Thursday.

The Liberty won the franchise's first championship, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in overtime in a decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“(To) see how many people were in the crowd, smiling, celebrating the Liberty," Ionescu said, "it really puts into perspective what it means to bring a championship to this city and how it really takes everyone.”

Veteran Liberty players from the early teams, including Teresa Weatherspoon, Vickie Johnson, Kym Hampton and Crystal Robinson, along with current coach Sandy Brondello. attended the parade and ceremony afterward at City Hall. The Liberty even brought out former mascot Maddie.

The parade route was full of fans of all ages, with many of the kids wearing jerseys of their favorite players. Jones carried her Finals MVP trophy atop her float, while Stewart and Ionescu went into the crowd, giving high-fives and taking selfies with fans.

The Liberty also had a celebration at Barclays Center on Thursday night to cap off the festivities, highlighted by a performance from the team's incredibly popular mascot, Ellie the Elephant, with rapper Lil Mama.

There have been over 200 ticker-tape and confetti parades in New York. The most recent to honor a women's sports team came in 2019 when the U.S. soccer team won the World Cup. Two years later, there was a parade to honor essential workers and first responders for their service during the coronavirus pandemic.

“On behalf of 20 million incredibly proud New Yorkers, I say welcome home to our champion women,” said Hochul, who thanked Liberty owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai for investing in the team. “Let’s do it again next year.”

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Sabrina Ionescu holds the WNBA basketball championship trophy during the New York Liberty's parade Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Liberty's owner Joe Tsai, left, and Clara Wu Tsai, right, pose with New York Liberty's center Jonquel Jones before the WNBA championship team's parade Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Members of the New York Liberty, including Jonquel Jones holding the MVP trophy, makes their way up Broadway during the WNBA basketball championship parade Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Members of the New York Liberty, including Jonquel Jones holding the MVP trophy, makes their way up Broadway during the WNBA basketball championship parade Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Liberty MVP Jonquel Jones greets the crowd as she arrives on stage during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York mayor Eric Adams speaks during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai applaud during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty Courtney Vandersloot talks to fans during a ceremony in honor of the Liberty's WNBA championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty Sabrina Ionescu waves during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty MVP Jonquel Jones celebrates during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty Breanna Stewart places the championship trophy on a table as she arrives on stage during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello speaks during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The New York Liberty mascot, Ellie the Elephant, kisses the championship trophy during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The New York Liberty, their supporters, local officials and others celebrate during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty Kennedy Burke dances with the mascot, Ellie the Elephant, during a ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Liberty fans react while watching players parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway celebrating the team's WNBA basketball championship, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones, center, waves as she rides on a float holding the MVP trophy to celebrate the team's WNBA basketball championship over the Minnesota Lynx, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Spectators react as a float with members of the New York Liberty make its way up Broadway during the WNBA basketball championship parade Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu holds up the WNBA basketball championship trophy while riding down Broadway during a parade celebrating the team's season championship, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)