Stephen Colbert took a break from mocking Donald Trump and ranting about texts from the Harris campaign to cover a topic that’s rarely discussed on “The Late Show”: sports. Specifically, the CBS host dedicated the final third of his Tuesday night monologue to congratulating the New York Liberty for winning their game against the Minnesota Lynx, making them the 2024 WNBA champions.
And what better way to celebrate a historic victory than getting down with a beloved mascot?
In a game that saw the Liberty score 67 to the Lynx’s 62 points, the Brooklyn-based team took home the championship on Sunday night. It was an especially proud moment for the city of New York, marking its first basketball championship in 51 years.
“In New York, women’s basketball is simply known as basketball,” Colbert said. “Knicks, you get to play boy-sketball.”
In his belated congratulations to the team, Colbert highlighted some of the Liberty’s great players, including Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. But most of the segment was devoted to the “unsung hero” of the team, mascot Ellie the Elephant. Introduced in 2021 and named after Ellis Island, Ellie replaced Maddie the Golden Retriever when the team moved from Madison Square Garden to the Barclays Center.
“Don’t you worry, Maddie is fine. She’s just been sent to a basketball team upstate where she can run around and trampoline dunk on that great backboard in the sky,” the comedian joked.
Colbert then praised Ellie for bringing her “swag, her fun vibes and her great moves” everywhere she goes, livening up even the most buttoned-down events. To prove his point, he showed a clip of Ellie dropping it low and swinging her hips during a panel that included NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“I understand why he’s a little reserved,” Colbert said. “He’s not thrilled to have her out there. Silver’s trying to give a serious presentation and he’s getting interrupted.”
That’s when the late night host was interrupted by Ellie herself who came out swinging her braid. After feigning surprise, Colbert fully embraced his guest’s vibes, dancing with her and twirling repeatedly before taking her purse so that Ellie could really get down. Watch the full segment above.
