Just a few days after winning her first French Open title, Coco Gauff received a standing ovation at Barclays Center while the New York Liberty hosted the Chicago Sky on Tuesday. When it happened, she was sitting courtside with the family of the late Kobe Bryant — whose “mamba mentality” often serves as inspiration for the young tennis star.
Early in the fourth quarter of the Liberty’s dominant 85-66 win, Gauff was shown on the jumbotron and the crowd immediately erupted. Besides the enthusiastic cheers, she also received a visit from Ellie the Elephant, the Liberty’s beloved mascot. After the game, Gauff also said hello to Sky forward Angel Reese before celebrating in the Liberty locker room.
Gauff appreciated the love she received from the New York crowd.
Coco Gauff drew inspiration from Kobe Bryant
Gauff earned this celebration by upsetting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the second Grand Slam of her career. Despite losing the first set in a tiebreak, Gauff didn’t get rattled and instead stormed back to win 6-7 (5-7), 6-2,…
