Ellie the Elephant isn’t just the zealous mascot for the WNBA’s New York Liberty — she’s a tastemaker and icon in her own right. Plush dolls in her likeness sold out immediately, and a wearable braid modeled after her signature gray and seafoam hairstyle is also out of stock at merch stands. She has her own personal TikTok, where she films GRWMs before big games, charms FYPs with her dance performances, and is generally known as an all-around diva to her nearly 200,000 followers. She goes viral every time she does, well, anything.
Her team, the defending WNBA champs, has seen a 152% spike in season ticket membership sales this year. It’s clear all eyes are on the Liberty, and heads turn whenever Ellie’s involved.
In May, the team partnered with Pinterest to launch an account. The collaboration makes sense, given that the team’s pre-game tunnel walks are filled with big beauty moments — hi, Sabrina Ionescu’s perfect ponytail — and key athletes are breaking into the fashion space (three Liberty players attended this year’s Met Gala). Fans can browse boards themed around hair and nail looks, Brooklyn sights, tunnel walks, book recommendations, and, of course, the mascot.
Below, Ellie the Elephant shares with Bustle what’s to come for her during this basketball season and beyond.
Tell me about working with Pinterest.
In a city like New York — where fashion, identity, and empowerment collide — our partnership just makes sense. From courtside to city streets, we’re giving fans more ways to showcase their pride in the Liberty and more ways to show off who they are. What I love about Pinterest is it’s a platform for showcasing art in many forms, and I am art.
I love using Pinterest for outfit and nail inspiration. What is something you’ve seen while pinning that you want to try out?
What’s trending and viral changes in a New York minute, so I am always scrolling and pinning to add to keep my looks and content fresh. I saw this bomb nail art that will be used as inspiration very soon! Leading up to our home opener, I was looking for the perfect hairstyle to pair with my denim Herzey dress and Championship ring — I went down a rabbit hole and finally landed on this fun bubble braid look, which my team and I had so much fun bringing to life.
Who has been your favorite celebrity courtside guest?
Oh wow, that’s so hard to choose… so I won’t. I love everyone! Coco Gauff, Alicia Keys, Ciara, Common, Gayle King, Jackie Chan, Jennifer Hudson, Pharrell, Spike Lee, Tierra Whack, Tyla, and Wanda Sykes are just a few of the celebs we’ve seen at CeLiberty Row.
Do you have a favorite dance tribute you’ve done?
The Beyoncé tribute from the 2024 season still holds the crown, with this year’s Nicki Minaj-themed performance at our home opener as a close second. Embodying Beyoncé was something special to my team and me because she inspires so much creativity and confidence. We had a lot of fun bringing that performance to life, and people still bring it up.
If someone wanted to “channel Ellie energy,” what would that entail?
Ellie energy comes from within! My goal has always been to inspire people to embrace life and live authentically. Dream big, work hard, and above all, stay true to you.
You’ve become a queer icon, according to the internet. How does that make you feel?
Everything we do at the New York Liberty, and my personal mission, is about making our fans feel loved, supported, and embraced. It means everything to me to have the LGBTQ+ community’s support.
Be honest — what’s your screen time?
Let’s just say this — when I’m not in rehearsal or business meetings, I’m scrolling. I gotta stay up to date!
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