Scoring Big in the Community
by Lesley Factor

It's easy to judge a player by the number of points she scored in a 40 minute basketball game, but even the bright lights of the arena are no match to the shining stars the women of the Mercury are in the community. 

The Mercury organization is passionate about giving back to the Valley that has welcomed the women's professional basketball team with open arms since the league's inception in 2007. And no matter the outcome of a game or the grueling practice the team endures, the players, coaches and staff are always champions in the community.

Two cornerstones of the WNBA's community involvement have always been literacy and education. When General Manager Ann Meyers Drysdale visited Happy Valley School in September that was exactly what she stressed to the kids.

“The WNBA is the only league to require players to have a college degree in order to be eligible for the draft,” Drysdale said. “If that doesn't tell you how serious the league takes education, I don't know what will.”

To help drive this message home, the team created an Adopt-A-Team program in 2008 that provides learning and development opportunities for female basketball players from Title I high schools. From life skills to basketball drills, the teams spend time with the Mercury, learns the importance of community service and is outfitted with much-needed equipment and uniforms.
“The interaction with players and excitement on the kids' faces is one of the best sights a person could see,” Drysdale notes.  “Spending time and learning from their role models creates memories that the younger players will take with them for the rest of their lives.”

The Mercury is also actively involved with Boys and Girls Clubs, the Salvation Army and many more organizations around the Valley. With only a 34-game season that runs from May through September, the Mercury works diligently to pack a big punch into a short period of time.

If you are interested in requesting a Mercury visit or learning more about when the Mercury will be out in the community, please visit www.phoenixmercury.com.  K&S

Lesley Factor is the Public Relations/Community Relations Manager for the Phoenix Mercury. She can be reached at lfactor@phoenixmercury.com.