The New York Liberty are moving to Barclays Center, the team announced Thursday morning, a triumphant return to the five boroughs for the iconic WNBA franchise.

The move coincides with the Liberty’s first full season of ownership by Joe Tsai, who also owns the arena and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

The Liberty played the past two seasons at Westchester County Center, where capacity was less than 3,000, in a cost-saving move by former owner James Dolan. The team had primarily played at Madison Square Garden following its inception in 1997 as one of the WNBA’s founding eight franchises.

“We need to find a solution when it comes to playing venue, a place where the fans can get excited about,” Tsai had told The Post’s Brian Lewis this summer. “As an owner I see that as my most important responsibility, how to bring more fans into the arena to watch the team.”

Plans call for Barclays to have a seating capacity of more than 8,000 in the lower bowl for Liberty games, with room to open up more seats. The Liberty’s lone regular-season game in Brooklyn last season drew a crowd of 7,715.

“We are committed to the Liberty’s long-term success in New York and relocating the team to Brooklyn will provide the franchise with tremendous opportunity,” said David Levy, CEO of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, as well as president of J Tsai Sports, said in a statement. “With many of our fans based in the five boroughs, moving to Barclays Center will make the Liberty more centrally located, allowing us to bring back the original fan base and attract new supporters.”

“The New York Liberty are part of the foundation of the W and have many of the most accomplished players and passionate fans since the inaugural season,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in the press release. “Barclays Center is the perfect venue to host New York’s team and showcase world-class women’s basketball. This move is key to driving the league to the next level.”

The move comes at a moment when the Liberty’s on-court product is also in flux. Katie Smith was not retained as coach this week, following a 10-24 finish in 2019. But the Liberty won the draft lottery, putting them in position to draft Oregon superstar point guard Sabrina Ionescu in the spring.

“The venue change, along with the first pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, has positioned the team for an exciting future,” Levy said.

With AP