None of New York’s teams achieved the ultimate goal in 2025.
For the 13th year in a row, the city couldn’t celebrate a Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals or Stanley Cup championship.
It’s a drought that continues to hang over the five boroughs.
Still, there were plenty of storylines that captivated New York, from the Knicks and St. John’s electrifying the city to the Mets and Liberty falling short of their championship-or-bust expectations.
Here’s a look back at the highest highs and lowest lows of New York sports in 2025.
NEVER-SAY-DIE KNICKS
The Knicks entered the 2024-25 season with lofty aspirations after blockbuster trades to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.
But nobody could have envisioned how their second-round playoff series against the defending champion Boston Celtics would play out.
The Knicks overcame 20-point second-half deficits to win Games 1 and 2 in Boston, then erased a 14-point second-half deficit to win Game 4 at home.
After the Knicks wrapped up the series with a 119-81 win in Game 6, thousands of reveling fans took over 7th Ave. and other streets surrounding Madison Square Garden for a raucous celebration.
It marked the Knicks’ first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
A return to the Finals continued to elude the Knicks, however, as they lost to the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals in six games.
A busy offseason followed, as the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, replaced him with Mike Brown, and revamped their bench.
They hope 2026 brings their first trip to the Finals since 1999 — and their first championship since 1973.
ALL RISE AGAIN
A year after advancing to the World Series, the Yankees were eliminated in the ALDS this October, extending their title drought to 16 years.
But Yankees fans were able to enjoy another season for the ages from Aaron Judge.
Judge hit an MLB-best .331 to win his first career batting title, and he also led the majors in on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.688) and OPS (1.145).
His 53 homers were the most ever by a batting champ.
That prolific production was enough for Judge to win his third American League MVP award and his second in as many seasons.
But it didn’t come easily.
Judge narrowly won the MVP vote over Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, whose 60 home runs were the most in a single season records by primary catcher, by a switch-hitter, and by a Mariner.
And while the Yankees came up short in October, Judge delivered his signature playoff moment with a game-tying three-run home run off the foul pole in the Yankees’ season-extending ALDS Game 4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
RESURGENT RED STORM
Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2025 was the sudden resurgence of St. John’s.
In their second season under Rick Pitino, the Johnnies roared to a 31-5 record, including 18-2 in conference play and 18-0 in home games.
They delivered their first outright Big East regular-season championship since 1985; their first conference tournament title since 2000; and their first win in the NCAA Tournament since 2000.
Alas, the storybook season came to a sudden end when John Calipari-led Arkansas upset second-seeded St. John’s in the second round of the Big Dance.
But St. John’s retooled in the offseason with what was widely considered the country’s best transfer class.
Despite a slow start to this season, the Johnnies maintain their sky-high expectations to advance even further in 2026.
METS MELTDOWN
The other big stunner came courtesy of the Mets.
After a surprise run to the NLCS in 2024, the Mets signed Juan Soto to a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract last winter and brought back Pete Alonso after prolonged contract negotiations.
With a payroll exceeding $300 million, the Mets were considered a favorite in the National League, and they looked the part as they jumped out to a 45-24 record.
But the Mets spiraled from there, going just 38-55 over the season’s final three and half months to finish 83-79 and miss the playoffs.
The Mets were largely undone by a starting staff that failed to provide length and a defense that left much to be desired, though the hot and cold nature of their loaded lineup played a part, too.
The second-half collapse prompted president of baseball operations David Stearns to make wholesale changes this offseason. Brandon Nimmo was traded to the Texas Rangers, while Edwin Diaz and Alonso left in free agency.
LIBERTY LETDOWN
The Liberty, too, entered 2025 with a must-win mentality, having just claimed the franchise’s first-ever championship the previous fall.
But Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart both missed extended time due to injuries, while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sat out the full season after hurting her knee while competing in the Unrivaled league during the offseason.
All of that contributed to an uneven season for the Liberty, who went 27-17, were the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, and got eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Mercury.
The Liberty fired head coach Sandy Brondello after the early playoff exit and replaced her with longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco.
GIANT CHANGES
One way or another, 2025 will go down as a pivotal year in Giants history.
They seemed to find a franchise quarterback in rookie Jaxson Dart, whose impressive ingenuity and playmaking energized the fan base and organization.
But they also moved on from head coach Brian Daboll after the team got off to a 2-8 start for the third season in a row.
This season was particularly excruciating at times for Giants fans, as the team repeatedly blew fourth-quarter leads — including a 33-32 loss in Denver in which the Broncos trailed 19-0 after three quarters.
Still, the future seems brighter for the Giants thanks to Dart, who should get back his top receiver in Malik Nabers and top running back in Cam Skattebo next year after season-ending injuries.
TURBULENT JETS
It might be difficult to remember, but Aaron Rodgers was still a member of the Jets for the first couple of months of 2025.
But the Jets’ new regime of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey decided a fresh start would not include Rodgers, whom they famously informed they were releasing after he made a cross-country flight from California.
The Jets signed Justin Fields to replace Rodgers as their starter, but he struggled during their 0-7 start to the season and was benched a few weeks later.
In a nod to the future, the Jets traded cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams before the November deadline for packages that included multiple high draft picks.
The Jets’ search for a quarterback is now on, and they have five first-round picks in the next two drafts to help them find one.
