The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury will host the team’s fourth annual PRIDE Night, brought to you by Coors Light, on Friday, June 16, at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Tip-off against the Chicago Sky is set for 7 p.m.
The Mercury’s fourth annual PRIDE celebration of diversity and inclusion will include events during the week of June 12-16, culminating with the PRIDE game on Friday the 16th, which will feature pregame, in-game and postgame activities, as well as a fan giveaway, non-profit fundraiser and special signing.
PLAYER APPEARANCES: In advance of PRIDE Night, Mercury center Brittney Griner will appear at Cash Nightclub and Lounge on Tuesday, June 13, and guard Danielle Robinson will appear at Charlie’s Phoenix on Thursday, June 15, to sign autographs and visit with fans. The events will also feature Mercury entertainers and mascot Scorch, and will begin at 5 p.m., with the players set to appear beginning at 6 p.m.
PREGAME: On game day, the Talking Stick Resort Arena seating bowl will have a very PRIDEful feel, as 10,000 double-sided fan placards, courtesy of Prisma Graphic, will be printed in six different colors and placed strategically to stripe the arena’s seats as a rainbow. As fans enter the Casino Arizona Pavilion before the game, they will find an expo of local LGBT organizations, and the Mercury’s 50/50 raffle (throughout the building and game) will benefit Joshua Tree Feeding Program, which provides nourishment to low-income HIV+ residents in Maricopa County.
IN-GAME/HALFTIME: Throughout the game, a Mercury PRIDE filter will be available on Snapchat, only at Talking Stick Resort Arena. On-court timeout competitions will feature rainbow basketballs, the Mercury Hip Hop Squad will wear PRIDE shirts, and the team will bring back the “Love Cam” to highlight love in all its forms, including parents and children, siblings, friends and significant others. The Mercury has also partnered with Live 101.5 radio personality Aneesh from “The Morning Mess” to co-host various in-game activities and contests.
At halftime, Coors Light representative Jonathan Hensley will sign ONE Community’s UNITY Pledge, created by a local organization to encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It was signed by the Mercury in 2014 and by the Phoenix Suns in 2016.
POSTGAME: After the game, fans are encourage to head to the Coors Light Cold Zone (east side of the arena), where the postgame party will feature an appearance by Danielle Robinson, Coors Light drink specials, DJ Dean Michaels, and Mercury-themed bingo.
Fans can visit PhoenixMercury.com/promos to view a complete schedule of theme nights, fan giveaways and exciting promotional opportunities. Tickets to the Mercury’s PRIDE Night matchup against the Chicago Sky on Friday, June 16 and other Mercury home games are available at PhoenixMercury.com or by phone at 602.252.WNBA.