‘Unfinished Business’ Documentary Offers Inside Look At WNBA And New York Liberty

Earlier this month, I had the honor of watching Unfinished Business at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s a documentary following the parallel timeline of the WNBA and one of its original franchises, the New York Liberty—the only 26-year-old franchise without a ring.

I headed to the red carpet and the premiere to get thoughts from players, coaches, director, and producer Alison Klayman, and New York Liberty Clara Wu Tsai about the premiere and why more storytelling in women’s sports is needed.

“The vision for the film really stemmed from discussions that I had with people about the need for a real definitive look at the league’s importance, especially as it reached a milestone—25 years,” Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai told me in a phone interview.

By following the New York Liberty, the film could show both the first WNBA tip-off and former WNBA player and now New York head coach Sandy Brondello. It was an ambitious way to draw attention to the league and the WNBA, but stars like Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, and yes even Barclays Center in New York City give anything including the New York Liberty an unfair advantage.

The backdrop and allure of the City wasn’t always something the Liberty nor the WNBA could rely on. Before Clara Wu and Joe Tsai purchased the New York Liberty, the team was playing in White Plains, NY in the Westchester County Center – no more than a rundown gym that could seat 4,500 fans at the maximum.

“I remember Tina Charles picking up a mop and doing the floor. It was it was wild. Teams were coming in unimpressed. There was a droopy roof whenever it rained, it was misty on the court. It was small. It was like an auditorium,” Ari Chambers said in an interview during the film. “It wasn’t acceptable, not for elite athletes. These are Olympians stepping on the floor. These are the best and the best stepping on the floor.”

Those days are gone and the Tsai’s are quickly building a franchise and a fan experience people across the WNBA want to be a part of. Part of that means bringing back Liberty Legends.

The title is pretty obvious to Teresa Weatherspoon, Kym Hampton, and Crystal Robinson.

“Four times a bridesmaid, never the ring,” said Hampton during an interview at Barclays Center before the premiere. The New York Liberty were the team on the losing end of the Houston Comet’s four consecutive WNBA titles to start the league. The defunct franchise remains the only team to win four consecutive titles.

Weatherspoon agreed, “The championship is was unfinished. That’s the unfinished business that we’re talking about.”

It was also a sore point of her Naismith Hall of Fame speech. Many remember her heroic shot in Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Final – also in the documentary – but not many people talk about having to play Game 3 the very next day. Despite being bitter rivals, Weatherspoon had Cynthia Cooper, Tina Thompson, and Sheryl Swoopes present her for her 2019 Hall of Fame enshrinement.

“You’re looking at three powerful women in the game of basketball, period. I wouldn’t even want to say women’s basketball, but in basketball period, and it’s just a great deal of respect that I have for them. I love those girls,” she told The Athletic.

However, UNFINISHED BUSINESS is not just about the New York Liberty. It’s actually a nod to Liberty superfan Joan Jett’s song by the same title. The film shows Jett sitting courtside in Madison Square Garden with a voodoo doll dress as whomever New York was playing.

As a child going to Liberty games, I didn’t know Jett’s song but I remember the chorus and the bridge:

“Let’s Go Liberty!”

There is unfinished business for the WNBA as well. For players without a ring – like a Tina Charles. For the league that is still working to get the pay and attention they feel they deserve. I also feel strongly there is an opportunity for the league too, like Klingman does in the film, to engage WNBA Legends more consistently.

The Liberty opted for a championship coach to lead their young team this year. Sandy Brondello, who won three titles as the bench boss of the Phoenix Mercury for eight seasons, is also one of six former WNBA players serving as head coach.

“Obviously, there’s generation changes, but it’s important for the players of today to know the stars of yesterday because they’ve paved the way for them to be living their dream,” Brondello told me.

As the film closes, Betnijah Laney and Natasha Howard make it clear this squad wants to win a title.

“Our goal is definitely to get a championship and it won’t just be for us. You know, it’ll be for everybody that came before us everybody that believed in us,” Laney said.

“When we get to that point, that’s when T-Spoon and Crystal Robinson gonna get they rings,” added Howard.