One of the many reasons women's sports deserves equal airtime, and equal pay, with men is that the powers that be behind the female franchises are having almost too much fun with their mascots. Case in point: Ellie the Elephant, the sassy, twerking, fashion-maven mascot for the New York Liberty basketball team. Since replacing the previous (and much less fun to watch) mascot, Maddie the dog, four years ago, she has provided the perfect degree of maximalist style to the sidelines, amping up the crowd and dancing with the team's infamous 40-and-up dancers, the Timeless Torches, during half-time.
Big Ellie, as she's commonly know, already has a suite of custom jersey dresses by sportswear designer Gabe Stark (in addition to outerwear, jewelry and custom sneakers), a profile in The New York Times style section, "Have You Ever Seen an Elephant Twerk?", and hundreds of thousands of followers on both TikTok and Instagram. Clearly, the mascot is a rising star in the fashion space, but it's time her signature court-side glam—think mile-long lashes and playful hairstyles like braided ponytails to down-to-there weaves—received some much-deserved attention.
Fittingly, the Brooklyn pachyderm with the most notorious court-side glam in the game can now add beauty spokesperson (so to speak) to her growing resume as the new face of Essie. She is now the nail brand's official "Mani Mascot."
The full campaign launches today, April 10, and features Ellie in full court-side glam and, of course, sporting a chic Essie manicure in the team's signature teal. "Essie is excited to champion this momentum and be part of the ever-growing fusion of beauty and athletics," the brand wrote in a press release to media.
Of course it's not unusual for players to land brand contracts, especially with the new NCAA rules granting collegiate athletes the ability to monetize their image and accept endorsement deals (Paige Bueckers, you're an icon), but I can't say that Chicago's Benny the Bull or San Antonio's The Coyote have any brand contracts to their name, or a team of personal stylists. Consider this news all the more proof that the WNBA is just as relevant for basketball fans of all genders, and is committed to reflecting the interests and values of its female audience.
It's no accident that Ellie has resonated so deeply with Liberty fans. The team has made a concerted effort for the mascot to represent the diverse identity of her home borough and the league itself. Not only that, the team that is responsible for styling the elephant—all Black women who jokingly call themselves her "aunties"—is striving to work with primarily Black and Brooklyn-based designers, per Sports Illustrated. And if you've never walked around Brooklyn and engaged in some people watching, you might not realize just how crucial a killer manicure is to the locals. From the latest nail color trends to boundary pushing NFC nails, New Yorkers in-the-know will always bring their best nail game to the table—or, as is the case with Ellie the Elephant, to the court.
Shop a few gel by essie—the brand’s newly reformulated, long wear polish—colors to wear to your next New York Liberty game.
