Diana Taurasi gestures during Sunday's single-elimination Phoenix Mercury matchup against Seattle Storm. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
For Game 3 in their WNBA playoff semifinal series, the Mercury will host Las Vegas Aces.
Phoenix's team won't be able to access its home arena as Disney on Ice is here.
Instead, six 2021 All-Stars will be competing against the pros in a local college gym.
For more stories, visit Insider's homepage.
The Phoenix Mercury will be displaced and lose its home-court advantage for the second consecutive week. However, it will host a high-stakes playoff match.
The WNBA team will face the second-seeded Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 at Desert Financial Arena - Arizona State University’s gym - on Sunday. "Disney on Ice" is its regular home at the Footprint Center.
That's not a joke.
The Mercury were removed from the Footprint Center last week to make room for a concert. They were supposed to have home-court advantage in an elimination game against New York Liberty. Phoenix's infamous fan section, dubbed "X Factor", still showed their support for the Mercury. However, the 7,000-seat replacement venue at a local college couldn't keep up with the demand.
The Mercury could also play a third postseason matchup if the Phoenix-Las Vegas series is crowned the winner. The NBA's Phoenix Suns are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Lakers in a preseason matchup at Footprint Center on the same day. It is unclear where the Mercury or Aces will play their potentially crucial matchup, according to Alex Simon of The Next.
Brittney Griner (center), high fives her Phoenix Mercury colleagues. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Phoenix, who beat the Seattle Storm on Sunday to become the reigning champions, is more than worthy of playing in familiar territory during home games. Skylar Diggins Smith, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi are three of the Mercury's best players, but the team has been overlooked in some of its most important moments.
Continue the story
Maybe "Disney on Ice", instead of Phoenix's fanbase and team packing up, can bring its talent to Desert Financial Arena on Saturday. If Game 4 of the Mercury series against Last Vegas is successful, the Suns could play LeBron James or the Lakers at a college gym to ensure that the WNBA playoffs get the stage they deserve.
Can you even imagine? It's unlikely, but women's sport enthusiasts can dream of a time when their franchises will be treated with the same respect as Disney on Ice or an insignificant NBA preseason game.
Insider has the original article.
