Tari Phillips, a four-time WNBA All-Star, will be inducted into the New York Liberty’s Ring of Honor on Sunday, August 10. The franchise announced that Phillips, who played for the Liberty from 2000 to 2004, will become the eighth person recognized with this distinction.
Phillips was initially selected as the eighth overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Orlando Miracle and joined New York via trade before the 2000 season. In her first year with the Liberty, she was named an All-Star and became the league’s inaugural Most Improved Player after averaging 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
She went on to earn three more All-Star selections from 2001 to 2003 and was named to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2002. Between 2000 and 2003, Phillips consistently ranked among the top-10 rebounders in the league each season and recorded a career-best average of 8.5 rebounds per game in 2003.
During her time with New York, Phillips collected a total of 1,077 rebounds—a record for the franchise until it was surpassed by Tina Charles in July of 2017. She also led her team in rebounding for a total of 95 games including postseason play, which remains second-most in team history.
The Liberty introduced their Ring of Honor in 2011 as its highest accolade for former players. Previous inductees include Kym Hampton (1997–1999), Vickie Johnson (1997–2005), Teresa Weatherspoon (1997–2003), Sue Wicks (1997–2002), Rebecca Lobo (1997–2001), Becky Hammon (1999–2006), and Crystal Robinson (1999–2005). Phillips is set to join this group as its latest member since Crystal Robinson’s induction in 2021.
The announcement comes ahead of Legends Weekend—an annual event hosted by New York Liberty that brings together over twenty former players to celebrate their contributions since the team’s founding in 1997. As part of this year’s festivities from Friday through Sunday, fans can participate on Saturday at Union Square Plaza during a pop-up event organized with American Express between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., where supporters are invited to create bouquets and write messages honoring both past legends and current players.
Phillips’ official induction ceremony will occur at halftime during Sunday’s home game against Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center—a rematch from last season’s Finals—with fans encouraged to remain seated during halftime for what organizers describe as a historic celebration.
“Tari Phillips”
