As the story goes, on a brisk spring day back in 1884, entertainment magnate P.T. Barnum marched 21 of his legendary circus elephants across the Brooklyn Bridge. The animals made it over just fine, easing public concern over the structural integrity of the architectural marvel connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, which was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. Barnum’s legendary “elephant walk” has since been memorialized in an iconic 2004 New Yorker cover and a satirical sculpture erected in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Most recently, that bit of New York City lore manifests courtside, as the New York Liberty’s beloved mascot.
Named after Ellis Island, “Ellie” the elephant entertains crowds, but her vibe is much more that bitch than Barnum. She carries a Telfar bag. Her tunnel ‘fits are Instagrammed. And Tyla was once caught fangirling over her from celebrity row. “She’s not just a mascot anymore,” says Criscia Long, Ellie’s personal stylist and one of her handlers. “She has entered a new realm of influencer.”
The anthropomorphized elephant has amassed almost 300,000 social media followers, but her It Girl prowess is best experienced in-person at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where she whips her floor-length braid, performs TikTok dances, and leads the crowd in her eponymous fourth quarter Ellie stomp. Picture this: “Headsprung” by LL Cool J echoes through the arena as a hot-girl elephant in Air Jordans leaps over dancers and lands on one foot with a thunderous stomp that leaves fans both dizzy and delighted.
Ellie’s pre-game drip and half-court line performances are paving the way for something every influencer dreams of: collabs. Her style has caught the attention of both celebrities and fashion brands, including New York-based label Luar, which gifted her a seafoam-green bag in honor of the Liberty’s jersey color. During the last season’s playoffs, fellow Brooklynite Lil’ Kim specifically requested Ellie join her for a halftime performance that was “so Brooklyn, it will go down in history forever,” Long says.
Like Barnum’s elephants 140 years ago, Ellie has a job to do: bring people to the borough. And it seems to be working. Fans come to watch powerhouse players like Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, of course, but they stay for the twerking elephant. “Ellie’s whole persona is about showing up, making a statement, and welcoming people,” Long says. “This isn’t just a mascot moment or a fashion moment—it’s a cultural moment.”
Earlier this month, Ellie dropped by the ELLE offices in Manhattan. I have been an editor with the magazine for nearly six years, and in that time some of the world’s most prominent actresses, musicians, artists, and politicians have come in for desksides or interviews. No one has garnered a reaction like Ellie. She swaggered into our pitch meeting. Staffers clambered for selfies. The fashion closet erupted in cheers. One assistant even asked her to sign our September issue. “That’s the power of Ellie,” Long says. “You just feel it.” The identity of the individual wearing elephant suit is kept tightly under wraps, which makes her feel that much more her own person.
The original prototype for the mascot four years ago was much simpler. No bamboo earrings. No weave. Those details, which Long says “make her personality come through,” were the brainchild of Ellie’s all-Black, all-female entourage, who conceptualize, source, and put together looks before each game. From the start, Long wanted her essence to reflect the culture of the borough she represents. “Ellie is inspired by women of color, and you see that in her persona,” Long says. “We wanted to make that super authentic, so people can relate to it.”
Ellie has many celebrity fans, including Julia Fox.
The elephant’s signature braid was inspired by Long’s own childhood. “As a little girl, I would be so excited to go to the salon with my mom and pick out something new,” she says. “At first the braid was just gray, and then we started to add color and highlights.” After experimenting with hair, Long turned her attention to wardrobe. Ellie’s style had to be buzzy, and it had to be Brooklyn. “One thing about fashion, specifically in Brooklyn, is that when you walk down the street, it is bold, bright, vibrant,” Long says. “It makes a statement.”
Standing out isn’t exactly an issue when you’re one of the largest animals on the planet. But just in case, Ellie chose a custom look for her first tunnel walk of the 2024 WNBA season. She was outfitted by Gabe Stark, who created a special slim-fit jersey dress called “The Herzey” from his label Rare Breed BX. The Brooklyn-based designer and longtime Liberty fan spent years perfecting his trademarked Herzey, which he describes as having the “sleekest, sexiest, sportiest silhouette possible.” But dressing an elephant does come with a unique set of challenges. “She was my first client with fur,” he says. “After a couple of fittings and implementing a tailhole, we figured it out.”
Long worked closely with Stark on the outfit, which went viral on social media. “We had so many different prototypes,” Long says. “We really wanted to make sure there was a womanly shape there.” A former Knicks City dancer, Long is keenly aware of the impact—and the implications—costuming can have. “It’s so cool to go in the [Instagram] comments and see people saying, ‘Oh, she has on bamboo earrings!’” Long says. “They’re getting the references of what we’re trying to do here.”
As the senior director of entertainment for the New York Liberty, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Long Island Nets, Long helps coordinate branding and performances across leagues. But of all the teams she works with, the Liberty is “close to my heart,” she says. At times, Ellie can even feel like an extension of herself. “You see yourself in her, or how you wish you could be,” she says. “I see her be so fearless and really change the energy in a room, it’s powerful.”
Of course, the WNBA has never been more stylish. Caitlin Clark wore Prada to this year’s WNBA draft. Cameron Brink walked the orange carpet in a two-tone Balmain gown with a thigh-high slit. And tunnel walks have been deemed this year’s version of the fashion runway. “Women are able to showcase themselves,” Long says. “And we wanted to do that same thing with Ellie.”
Before games, Long and her team discuss what she will be wearing and how that might impact fans. For example, Ellie sported a multicolored outfit on Pride night that was inspired by Beyoncé’s Renaissance album, which New York Liberty chief brand officee Shana Stephenson says is just one way she helps grow the game and reach non-traditional sports fans. “She’s for our youth, our LGBTQ+ fanbase, our entertainment appreciators, our fashionistas, our diehard loyalists, and everyone in between,” Stephenson explains. “Everything we do is with the intention to stay authentic to Brooklyn and our diverse communities. Ellie is a reflection of that, and it clearly resonates with the fans.”
Criscia Long, Ellie’s stylist.
Ellie backstage at a Ciara concert in Brooklyn.
Everything Ellie wears is carefully curated by Long, who has come to appreciate the marketability of the mascot. “Now that we understand her influence, we have to create a rate card for her,” she says, referring to a document that outlines the terms and costs for working with a content creator. “This is a new space in mascoting-influencer land, and also such a powerful asset for the New York Liberty. Now we’re trying to figure out how we’re going to manage that.”
As women’s basketball continues to experience unprecedented levels of fandom, Ellie herself is experiencing growth. Long says that lately she has been looking to artist Erykah Badu for inspiration when it comes to dressing the elephant. “The way [Erykah] matures in her fashion is exciting to watch, and I think it’s storytelling,” she explains. “Every time she shows up in a space, you never know what she’s going to do with fashion.”
In many ways, Ellie is just as unpredictable—and equally as intentional. That, of course, is part of the her magic. “I don’t know what Ellie’s going to do a lot of the time, but I see her be so fearless and really change the energy in a room,” Long says. “It’s so powerful, and I think people are inspired by that.”
Rose is the Senior Editor of Features & Special Projects at ELLE.com overseeing features and projects about women’s issues. She is an accomplished and compassionate storyteller and editor who excels in obtaining exclusive interviews and unearthing compelling features.