New York Liberty's Pursuit of First WNBA Title Chronicled in New Documentary — Watch the Trailer (Exclusive)

"It's really exciting to be a part of a team that's going to change New York basketball," Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu says in the trailer for Unfinished Business

Since the WNBA's inception in 1997, every team in the league has won a championship — except for the New York Liberty.

Unfinished Business, a selection at the Tribeca Film Festival, reveals the unique struggles that players on the Liberty and in the WNBA continue to face, especially when they play for a team struggling to win.

In a trailer exclusive to PEOPLE, current and former Liberty players and executives detail how the team continues the pursuit of their first WNBA title.

"To have a league, we had to stand so that people know we belong," former Liberty star Teresa Weatherspoon says in the trailer.

Weatherspoon, 57, now an assistant coach for the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans, also discusses the financial and physical struggles that come with life in the WNBA.

"Some of them didn't get contracts to go overseas," Weatherspoon recalls, adding that during the offseasons, she "might see [WNBA players] working in a McDonalds."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The documentary, produced by Clara Wu Tsai, Ciara and Russell Wilson, chronicles the Liberty's rise after the addition of all-star Sabrina Ionescu, whose contribution to the team has made New York competitive again.

"It's really exciting to be a part of a team that's going to change New York basketball," Ionescu, 25, says in the trailer.

Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty shoots the ball during the game against the Las Vegas Aces
Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Former Liberty star Natasha Howard is also featured in the trailer. Howard, 31, speaks about the demanding schedule for WNBA players. In the trailer, Howard says she's played for leagues in Russia, Turkey and Israel, among other countries.

Other topics explored in Unfinished Business include social justice efforts, both past and present, how the athletes "sacrifice their bodies" despite insufficient compensation, and how the league navigated marketing to an expanding LGBTQ+ audience.

"A number of teams were concerned that they had so many gay fans," journalist Tamryn Spruill says in the trailer, referring to the earlier days of the women's league. "The league didn't know how to market these women," she explains.

Additionally, the project celebrates the rapid growth of the WNBA at large in recent years. "It's reached a level that we haven't seen before," a voiceover says in the trailer.

Unfinished Business, directed by Alison Klayman, will be playing theatrically in New York City at BAM Rose Cinemas staring May 12, available on Amazon Prime Video beginning May 13, and will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, May 14.

Related Articles