In its continued efforts to support and give voice to all members of the community, the Phoenix Mercury will host Black Excellence Night presented by Banner Health on Tuesday, June 13, when the team returns to Footprint Center to take on the Seattle Storm. Tip off is at 7 p.m.
The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive Mercury-branded rally towels to help bring the X-Factor energy for the Tuesday night matchup. Local singer Candace Chavez will perform the national anthem followed by a live performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing by local artist Stephanie Downing. Halftime will feature a live performance by south Phoenix dance company Pretty Precise Step Team.
Throughout Black Excellence Night, the Mercury will recognize nonprofits and individuals positively impacting the Black community across the Valley. Guests of honor include Arizona Birthworkers of Color, an organization founded in 2016 that offers services to support families before, during and after childbirth, and the Arizona Center for African American Resources, a nonprofit that is dedicated to improving the quality of life of African Americans in Arizona by providing resources in health and wellness, education, and economic equality.
During the game, the team will honor founding Phoenix Mercury member Bridget Pettis with the Believe in Women Award, a recognition that elevates incredible women in sports, business and philanthropy who are making an impact in their communities. Pettis spent six seasons with the Mercury as a player (1997-2001, 2006) and scored the very first points in franchise history in the team’s inaugural season in 1997. Following her on-court career, Pettis continued in the WNBA as an assistant coach for the Mercury, winning two WNBA Championships in 2007 and 2009. Pettis is the founder of Project Roots AZ, a local nonprofit that assists those in need with food insecurity and necessities across the greater Phoenix area.
The Mercury will also honor Charles Kendrick as a part of its in-game celebration of Black Excellence Night. Kendrick, 92, founded The first African Heritage Museum in Tucson in 1998, now to be re-imagined under the name Tucson Center for Black Life. He was the first African American from Arizona to receive a pharmacy degree from the University of Arizona and spent 42 years at Pima County Hospital, which later became Banner University Medical Center South.
Tickets for Tuesday’s Black Excellence Night presented by Banner Health are still available at Mercury.WNBA.com/Single-Game-Tickets.
Help the Mercury send Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Sophie Cunningham to the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas, vote daily at Vote.WNBA.com now through June 21. Follow along @PhoenixMercury on Twitter for the latest news and updates on the team.