The business of Ellie the Elephant, the WNBA’s most valuable mascot

There’s less than four minutes left in the first game of the WNBA finals between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx—and the Lynx are ruthlessly cutting into the Liberty’s lead. The omnipresent Barclays Center DJ tees up a “Defense” chant for the Liberty fans. “Boom boom,” cue the drums. “Defense!” shout the fans. Suddenly, an elephant climbs over a six-foot-tall metal safety divider into the stands next to a group of fans holding an “Ellie Fan Section” sign, and the chant changes.  “Boom boom.” “Ellie!”  Ellie the Elephant, the Liberty’s iconic mascot, has become a cultural phenomenon, known as much for her fashion sense as her dancing and cheerleading. She’s also become a business in her own right, boosting the WNBA team’s bottom line. The Liberty increased the number of sponsors by more than 60% year-over-year this season. And Ellie, which became part of Liberty’s marketing efforts for the first time this year, played a key role.  Since being introduced as the Liberty’s mascot in 2021, Ellie has gained more than 120,000 Instagram followers; performed with musicians such as Ciara, Justin Timberlake, and Mary J. Blige; made television appearances on programs such as Good Morning America and the Tamron Hall Show; and established herself as a key part of the WNBA franchise’s brand and business model.  The mascot has also garnered attention from the media. “Have you ever seen an Elephant Twerk?” asked The New York Times in a 2023 profile. In July, Ellie graced the cover of Time Out, stomping on the headline “Belle of the Ball.” In a “get ready with me” story in Vogue about her outfit for game two of the finals, which was held on Sunday, Elle turned introspective. “Just like our talented players, I practice every day and I am passionate about putting my best and most authentic self forward at every Liberty game,” she told the publication. [Photo: Courtesy of the New York Liberty] When I meet with Ellie during the third quarter of the second Liberty-Lynx final matchup, she speaks with her body, rather than her words. With her signature waist-long braid styled with a white bandana, she wraps me in a warm hug and offers three kisses (I can hear the smooches through her mascot head). Needless to say, this is the first time an interview of mine has ever started in such a manner.  “It’s nice to meet you,” I say, introducing myself. “I’m writing an article about you.”  “Me?” she says, communicated via an easy-to-interpret gesture. Ellie holds both hands up to her chest before returning them to her hips in sassy curiosity.  “It’s about the business of being Ellie,” I respond. “About all of your brand deals.” Ellie slowly drags her right hand across her forehead using a limp wrist, a movement that those who follow her on social media understand means, “Periodt.” “Could I get a statement?” I ask, understanding that the nail-biting game is still ongoing. The Liberty, and Ellie, are on the clock.  Ellie lifts her right hand to her oversized elephant ear, thumb and pinky flexed, and dials the imaginary phone with her left. “I’ll call you,” I politely accept, then watch Ellie sashay away in her trademark “00” jersey. I know there’s no way I’ll be able to get more time in her busy schedule.  Few expected Ellie to become as busy as she is, not even the women who created her. “We didn’t envision that Ellie would be as big as Ellie is. But we’re happy that it happened,” says Keia Clarke, CEO of the Liberty. “The one thing we did envision is that we would let the Ellie character evolve. The performer who wears the suit would have some freedom.” [Photo: Courtesy of the New York Liberty] Clarke and Shana Stephenson, chief brand officer of the Liberty, helped build Ellie into something that could attract both audiences and sponsors to the team, which is in a position of strength. During the 2024 season, the Liberty posted an average attendance of 12,729 across the 20 regular season home games—a 64% increase from last season. This is the second year in a row that the Liberty has advanced to the WNBA Finals.  The team’s mascot channels this on-court dominance. These days, Ellie is a top-of-funnel marketing strategy, an engine for brand partnerships, an events business, and a merchandise machine for the team. Thanks to Ellie, the Liberty have been able to unlock new sponsors. The mascot played a major role in marketing campaigns for Xbox, Bumble, and Hero Cosmetics. And while the team already has an official make up brand (NYX Cosmetics) and facial partner (Glowbar), Stephenson says that Ellie could one day have a skincare sponsor or even a handbag partnership.   And then, of course, there’s Ellie’s relationship to fans, who call themselves “Ellie’s Herd.” “Overall, our strategy is: Try to attract a broader audience,” says Stephenson. “Ellie has been a great vehicle for us to achieve that. We’ve seen so many people who probably had little to no interest in the WNBA be