Sabrina Ionescu was unsure of what to anticipate on Monday as she prepared for the Met Gala at The Surrey, an upscale hotel located on the Upper East Side, with her Liberty teammates Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones by her side.
The trio of WNBA stars, accompanied by Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai, are certainly no strangers to the limelight. They have mingled with influential figures in various settings.
But the Met Gala is different.
The event is the pinnacle of fashion and a magnet for celebrities. Every year, on the first Monday of May, leading figures in fashion, arts, sports, and culture converge in New York City to gather at the largest art museum in the Americas.
It’s highly exclusive, too. Without an invite, a single ticket costs $75,000 to attend.
“You hear about it,” Stewart said, “and we were able to actually be a part of it.”
Monday marked the third straight year WNBA players graced the event.
Brittney Griner became the first WNBA player to attend in 2023 — only months removed from being released from a Russian prison. And Angel Reese made her Met Gala debut last year.
But the Liberty’s representation Monday night was another sign of the magnification of women’s basketball.
“[Attending the Met Gala] just means that we are breaking more into that space of notoriety and that the game is growing,” Jones said Wednesday. “I’m happy that I’m in the WNBA in this era, where we can kind of be a part of things that are so cool obviously. And … get that recognition and know that as female basketball players, we’re able to enter those spaces that we’ve seen our male counterparts enter before.”
The whole day felt like a whirlwind.
They arrived at the hotel around 9 a.m. but didn’t leave for the blue carpet that drapes over the iconic steps leading up to the museum until after 5 p.m.
Each wore custom couture outfits, designed by Sergio Hudson and styled by Courtney Mays, that were months in the making and tailored to this year’s theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Walking the carpet was somewhat nerve-racking. Blinding lights flashed from every direction as the players took turns posing at various stops along the way to the museum entrance.
At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by Pharrell Williams and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
Once inside, they walked through the new exhibit, centered on black dandyism that’s set to open to the general public Saturday. They also chatted with other attendees.
Stewart was most excited to see Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and Wintour. She even invited Anne Hathaway to a Liberty game this season.
Ionescu fangirled over Omar Sy from the Netflix series “Lupin.” She also met Serena Williams and Simone Biles, whom she called “female icons” that she’s admired for a long time now.
Jones chatted with Megan Thee Stallion, Zendaya and Coco Jones.
“I was talking to everybody,” Jones said. “Honestly I was walking around the cocktail session just yapping.”
The party moved into a larger hall, where dinner was served. Usher and Stevie Wonder were this year’s performers.
All in all, it was an incredible night.
“The best part was being able to share with my teammates as well as Clara,” Ionescu said. “It was beautiful from kind of start to finish. I was just happy to just be there, kind of be able to just see everyone I’m normally seeing on TV, actors, actresses, singers, artists, designers, and just being able to be all in a room with powerful people who kind of put their stamp on what it is they’re doing and their profession is special.”
