She's got name: Mercury courts to honor Taurasi
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Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
The Phoenix Mercury‘s new practice facility will have its two courts dedicated to franchise superstar Diana Taurasi, the team said Friday, and will have its grand opening next Thursday to kick off WNBA All-Star weekend.
The U.S. Olympic 5-on-5 team will face Team WNBA in the All-Star Game at Footprint Center on July 20 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The All-Star Skills Challenge and the 3-point Shooting Contest also will be at Footprint Center on July 19 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Mat Ishbia officially became owner of the Suns and Mercury in 2023 and said it was a priority to him to get the WNBA team its own practice facility. Having its grand opening coincide with the All-Star Game is part of the celebration of the Mercury, one of the original WNBA franchises dating back to 1997.
“This is going to be state of the art, first class, and the why behind it is we want to invest in our team,” Ishbia told ESPN on Friday. “We believe in our sport, we believe in the WNBA and we believe in the Phoenix Mercury. We are putting our money, our effort and our love behind it.
“The Valley loves basketball … we have two great teams doing great things in Phoenix.”
The Mercury’s 58,000 square-foot. $70 million facility is three blocks from Footprint Center. It will have two courts, offices, meeting rooms, hydrotherapy, a sauna, strength and cardio areas, a lounge, a dining room and a kitchen among many amenities. Each court will be named the Diana Taurasi Court and include a Taurasi-inspired logo.
Taurasi, the No. 1 draft pick out of UConn in 2004, has led the Mercury to three WNBA titles and is playing in her 20th season in the league, all with Phoenix. She is also on the U.S. Olympic team for the sixth time, having won five previous gold medals.
“It worked out perfectly: getting the WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix and being able to honor who I consider is the greatest of all time,” Ishbia said of Taurasi, the WNBA career scoring leader. “And she’s just a great person and great player. Putting her name on the court is something everyone will see in the future to always remember Diana Taurasi played here.”
