It’s barely been a day since the Las Vegas Aces snapped the New York Liberty’s three-game winning streak, and there’s more bad news. A spokesperson for Liberty owners exclusively told Page Six that the couple who have owned the team for the last seven years have decided to end their marriage, catching the fans off guard.
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“Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai have decided to end their marriage, a decision they came to mutually and with great respect for one another,” the spokesperson revealed in their statement.
“Over the years, their relationship evolved into more of a partnership, one of running their businesses and raising their children together. While they have grown apart, their divorce is amicable, and their relationship remains a strong, professional partnership.”
Besides owning the WNBA team, Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai, who had been married for 30 years, also own the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, and naturally the first question many fans asked was how the business side of things changes due to their separation.
“The most important question is who’s getting custody of the New York Liberty?” one fan asked in the comments of Page Six’s post.
Meanwhile, another fan wanted Clara Wu Tsai to continue running the New York Liberty. “As long as Clara remains governor of the Liberty, idc. Joe Tsai, hope you take Demarco in the divorce, buddy.”
Thankfully, the spokesperson had already answered those questions in their statement. They wrote that despite the circumstances, the business or operations of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, the Brooklyn Nets, or the New York Liberty won’t be affected.
“Joe will remain Governor of the Brooklyn Nets, and Clara will remain Governor of the New York Liberty.”
However, for many fans, the sudden announcement gave clarity as to why the New York Liberty became so inconsistent despite winning eight games in a row earlier in the season.
“One could say the New York Liberty is fracturing.”
“Liberty can’t catch a break”
“This explains why Joseph has been MIA. Also explains why they’re letting Chris Demarco and Kolb run free. Someone wake Clara up.”
However, the official statement from the spokesperson didn’t confirm that the separation had created any internal issue with either the New York Liberty or Brooklyn Nets.
“They will continue to own and be stewards of the teams with professional management in place as they always have.”
In fact, the spokesperson said that the couple who bought BSE Global, which owned the Nets and the Liberty for $2.35 billion in 2019, also plan to involve their children in the business in the future.
That being said, the Liberty have performed poorly, winning six and losing nine games since June 20. While they still have a winning record at 16-13, the losses are catching up, and fans hope that the team’s owners separating won’t make things worse.