Ohemaa Nyanin entered Barclays Center for Game 2 of last month's WNBA Finals, as he has done so many times before.
However, this time my feelings were different.
For five seasons until 2024, Nianin gave his all to Liberty.
She was general manager Jonathan Kolb's first hire, starting as manager of basketball operations and then working her way up to assistant GM.
She watched the Liberty go from averaging less than 2,300 fans per game at the Westchester County Center in 2019 to selling out Barclays Center.
This moment and “surreal” experience was exactly what she was looking for.
Hired as the Golden State Valkyries' first general manager in May, Nianin was now just a scout in the stands.
But a part of her heart remained in Brooklyn all last season.
That's why it was important for her to attend the Liberties Finals game. The win and tying the series at 1-1 made the trip home even more enjoyable.
But for the final three games of a five-game series, Nianin holed up in his San Francisco apartment.
She watched the third and fourth games alone. As the Minnesota Lynx forced a winner-take-all Game 5, Valkyries vice president of basketball operations Vanja Chernivec invited himself to Nianin's house.
Still, Nyanin couldn't hide his joy for the Liberty, even though he had traded Seafoam's thread for Valkyrie's Violet.
She cheered and clapped as her purple nail polish sparkled in the light.
“I kept saying to Vanja, 'I'm sorry for showing my true colors,'” Nyanin recalled.
Relief and joy began to settle in for Nyanin after Leonie Fievich converted a Lynx pass with 10 seconds left in overtime to give Liberty a five-point lead.
By the time the final horn sounded, a bottle of champagne had been opened and two glasses had been poured.
“I vividly remember feeling a weight lifted off my body,” Nyanin said. “This was the perfect way to conclude my experience at Liberty.”
Don't get me wrong, leaving Liberty for a higher position in Golden State wasn't easy for Nianin.
“This decision was the hardest decision I've ever made,” she said. “Because we knew what we could do. [win a championship]I also wanted this opportunity. ”
Throughout the interview process, there were times when I doubted that I would be seriously considered.
When she finally received the offer, she wondered if she would be able to leave the players and staff she had built such close and trusting relationships with.
She vividly remembers the day she visited Mr. Kolb's office this spring and told him the news.
She closed the door, signaling to her then-boss that the conversation they were about to have was about serious issues.
“I got the job,” she said, bracing herself for any potential negative reaction.
However, Nyanin's admission was welcomed by an enthusiastic Kolb.
“I knew it! I knew it!” Kolb said. “Are you excited?”
Tears of joy were in Nyaning's eyes. Of course, the opportunity to become a WNBA GM excited her, but there was still a glimmer of doubt whether leaving at that point was the right choice for this particular job.
Kolb offered full support.
“Of course I'm excited,” he told her. “This is what you wanted. You worked hard for this.”
The two franchises worked together to create a more seamless transition.
Nyanin tied up a few loose ends at Liberty, allowing him to hit the ground running with Valkyries on May 13th.
“I had to quickly change my mind and say, 'But I can still set it up.' [the Liberty] Aim for success. “And success could only mean a championship,'' Nianin said. “And I felt like I did it.”
It's been a few months since Nianin packed up her Brooklyn condo and headed for the West Coast.
She created Golden State's blueprint for success and helped prepare the franchise for its inaugural season in 2025, watching from afar as the Liberty earned the top seed in the playoffs.
“[The Liberty] Winning was all the validation I needed,” Nianin said. “I didn't have to go to a parade, I didn't have to attend a very public celebration. I just had to make sure they got the fruits of their hard work.
“[The] The 2024 season was a tough season for me, partly because the new season started, but I was very emotionally tied to Liberty until October 20th. When the final buzzer rang, I thought, “Oh my god, I'm just Valkyrie Violet now.''
After Liberty won the franchise's first title, Nianin met with Kolb.
They hugged and talked about how they got there. Nyanin has been there for most of that time, and now she's embarking on the process again with a new team. Only this time, she will bear the brunt of the blame.
But after working with Kolb, she knew she was ready.
“He's a great guy and a mentor to his peers, and it's always a source of pride for me just to see my guys win,” Nianin said.
