Liberty Outdoor Classic To Tip Off Saturday At Tennis Center
The WNBA Liberty will host the Fever Saturday night at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center's Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Liberty Outdoor Classic, the "first outdoor game in WNBA (or NBA) history," according to Ellen Horrow of USA TODAY. WNBA President Donna Orender: "This game is one of the biggest events on our calendar, and it's definitely a significant milestone for the league." The WNBA said that 17,000 of a possible 22,000 tickets have been sold. The Knicks' court on Thursday was transferred from MSG to the tennis center for the event, and the Liberty and WNBA logos "will replace the Knicks logos on the court." The Liberty will practice at the stadium Friday night to "get a feel for the court, the unusual sightlines and the outside elements." In the case of rain, the game will be "rescheduled for Sunday afternoon" at MSG (USA TODAY, 7/18). Liberty VP/Marketing & Communications Amy Scheer said that 17,963 tickets had been sold through Thursday. Orender said that she "hopes all of the league's markets host an outdoor event." Orender: "This will create a lot of guides for other teams to follow." On Long Island, Marcus Henry notes before the game there "will be a fan fest outside the stadium," and after the game Latin pop group Menudo will perform (NEWSDAY, 7/18).
SPECIAL SETTING: ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel noted the "concept of an outdoor basketball game isn't anything new," as the Univ. of Tennessee women's team in '00 played outside against Arizona State Univ. in Phoenix. But the location at the tennis center "really makes this special," as the "significance of the names attached to the facility ... will not be lost on these WNBA players." Voepel: "One of the best things about the WNBA is how many players really do 'get' this: They understand that being a professional athlete really does mean more than what you do on the court. Ashe and King represented that as well as any athletes ever have. That's why the outdoor game at this setting means more than it would someplace else" (ESPN.com, 7/17).
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