Suns, Mercury owner Mat Ishbia to spend $100 million on Mercury practice facility, employee campus
Thu, Oct 5, 2023
NBA News (AP)
PHOENIX (AP) - Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia announced on Thursday he's spending upwards of $100 million to build a dedicated practice facility for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and a downtown campus for Suns and Mercury employees.
Ishbia has wasted little time making his imprint on the franchise after spending roughly $4 billion to acquire the Suns and Mercury from the embattled Robert Sarver. In just eight months, he's added 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal via trade, reworked the team's local television package and revamped the arena's concessions options.
Now Ishbia's focus is on a new 123,000-square-foot (11,400-square-meter) development that includes space for company offices and more than 58,000 square feet (5,400 square meters) solely dedicated to the Mercury practice facility.
"It's just an investment in the Mercury, investment into women's basketball," Ishbia told The Associated Press. "It's great to build a first-class, state-of-the-art facility for them, designed for them in all aspects, from the locker rooms to the workout areas. It's not designed for the Suns and Mercury to share. It's designed for the Mercury.
"It's going to be the best one in the WNBA, without question."
The Mercury currently share a practice facility with the Suns in north Phoenix.
The new employee facility is expected to include indoor and outdoor basketball courts, an indoor arcade, a pickleball court, putting green and a workout facility. The facility will also include a fan store.
"Culture matters - it's how you treat people and take care of people," Ishbia said.
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