In celebration of Pride Month, the three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury will host the team’s eighth annual Pride Night, brought to you by Hornitos, on Friday, June 10 at Footprint Center at 7 p.m. It’s a pillar night for the Mercury, who were the first professional sports team in Arizona to host a Pride Night, and continues their month-long celebration of diversity, equity and inclusion through the lens of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Pride is a celebration of inclusion and a statement about how we as an organization value equality, and we are excited to host Pride Night in partnership with Hornitos who shares those same values,” said Mercury President Vince Kozar. “As the first professional sports team in Arizona to host a Pride Night, march in the Phoenix Pride parade, or have a presence at the Phoenix Pride and Rainbows festivals, we take seriously our role in providing visibility and representation to historically marginalized communities, especially those to which our players, staff and fans are deeply connected.”
On Friday, the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Mercury Pride Flag brought to you by Hornitos. The Mercury will be joined by six prominent local LGBTQ+ organizations – ONE Community, Equality Arizona, Phoenix Pride, Aunt Rita’s, one•n•ten, and Southwest Center, who will each have a concourse booth to help educate fans on their missions and work. For the first time, Spectrum Medical will also be on-site offering free HIV testing and education.
Launching during the game and running through the following week, the Mercury will hold an online auction to benefit the six previously-mentioned Pride organizations – making available a custom, hand-painted pair of “BG42” Nike Blazers, created to honor the Mercury star, and co-designed and worn by ESPN’s Holly Rowe earlier this season. For more information on the auction and to make a bid, click here.
The night will feature special video snippet of a sit-down discussion between Mercury Head Coach Vanessa Nygaard and Phoenix Suns General Manager James Jones, focused on Pride, equality and inclusion. Plus, a pregame party in the Hornito’s corner bar inside Footprint Center will feature a special rainbow-colored featured drink called “The Kitchen Sink.”
As part of the Mercury’s celebration of diversity and inclusion, the team has launched the Phoenix Mercury Pride Collection featuring seven new apparel designs on sale in the Team Shop and online at Shop.PhoenixMercury.com. Pride Socks, featuring the Mercury and the Suns logos, will be available for purchase with 100% of net proceeds going to the LGBTQ+ community. Fans can purchase Pride Socks at the Team Shop or online at Shop.SunsCharities.org.
Tickets for Friday’s Pride Night presented by Hornitos can be purchased at: PhoenixMercury.com/SingleGame.