The Suns and WNBA Mercury yesterday announced that US Airways Center will be renamed Talking Stick Resort Arena. The multiyear deal with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which owns Talking Stick Resort, will feature signage on the exterior of the building; on the underbelly of the center-hung scoreboard; on the arena’s rooftop; and featured on the Suns and Mercury basketball courts. The Casino Arizona Pavilion -- the arena’s main lobby area -- will retain its name (Suns). Suns President Jason Rowley said that the transition to the new signage "should be completed" by the start of the '15-16 NBA season next October. In Phoenix, Russ Wiles notes financial details of the agreement "weren't disclosed." US Airways' current contract with the arena, which "was set to expire" in '15, was a 10-year deal worth more than $20M. The airline in September said that the contract "wouldn't be renewed." The Suns "manage and operate the arena on behalf of the city." Rowley, without specifying dollar amounts, said that the club will "receive 'components' of the naming-rights revenue" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/3).
