Women's Fastbreak On SI

Ellie the Elephant Wants All The Smoke After Liberty vs. Sun Skirmish

New York Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant stood on business for one of her players on Saturday.

Grant Young

Oct 1, 2023; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) reacts after a play against the Connecticut Sun in the second half during game four of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2023; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) reacts after a play against the Connecticut Sun in the second half during game four of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

New York Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant has become a cult hero within the women's basketball community.

Known for her hilarious antics and flare for the dramatic, Ellie has quickly become the most iconic mascot in the WNBA.

And Ellie certainly sides with her own — quite literally, as proven by her sitting right next to Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu during Ionescu's 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend media day obligations.

In addition to sitting alongside her Liberty players, Ellie the Elephant also stands on business for them.

This was proven during the final moments of the Liberty's game against the Connecticut Sun on Saturday (which the Sun won 72-64), when there was a skirmish between Sun guard DiJonai Carrington and newly-acquired Liberty rookie Jaylyn Sherrod.

Sherrod didn't appreciate Carrington staring down at her after a foul was called; which prompted Sherrod to attempt a shove at Carrington while she was still on the ground.

While both players were issued technical fouls, the elephant in the room wasn't content with this outcome.

In the moments following the brief skirmish, New York Liberty Myles Ehrlich wrote on X, "Ellie the Elephant is being held back and dragged down the tunnel after the players mix it up on the sideline. Getting ugly late here."

As if imagining Ellie the Elephant getting this worked up wasn't hilarious enough, there's also video evidence of the mascot being restrained by other Liberty staffers.

Ellie then needed to be escorted out by security, who seemed worried that the mascot might storm the court and get revenge on Carrington herself.

While Ellie's involvement in the skirmish may have been for show, it must have taught Jaylyn Sherrod — who signed with the Liberty on Saturday morning — that Liberty players (and mascots) have each other's backs.

Sherrod's X post after the game indicated that the entire affair is now a laughing matter for her.

Never change, Ellie the Elephant.

Published
Grant Young

GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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