Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia has made yet another move to benefit the organizations.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The two franchises will be getting a new team member business headquarters and the Mercury their own state-of-the-art practice facility. Ishbia will be making an over $100 million investment into the project, which will be located in Phoenix’s Warehouse District downtown.
"You create great culture by investing in people. A basketball franchise is so much more than a normal business, it is a catalyst for change."
– @Mishbia15The Phoenix Suns & Phoenix Mercury today unveiled plans for a new team member business headquarters and a dedicated… pic.twitter.com/F5jVsaiPFb
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 5, 2023
Team Release
“The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury today unveiled plans for a new team member business headquarters and a dedicated state-of-the-art practice facility for the Phoenix Mercury. The groundbreaking project, a $100+ million investment and 123,000-square-foot development, driven by Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia’s commitment to the organizations’ foundational pillars of community impact, fan experience, team member culture and winning, will be strategically located within Phoenix’s Warehouse District downtown.
The new Suns and Mercury team member campus will be one of the largest developments for a professional sports organization in the country, spanning approximately 65,000 square feet, with more than 58,000 square feet dedicated for the Mercury practice facility.
‘We are working every day to make the Phoenix Suns and Mercury a world-class organization on and off the floor,’ said Ishbia. ‘You create great culture by investing in people. A basketball franchise is so much more than a normal business, it is a catalyst for change. I am so excited to be making an investment that builds on our vision for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury to continue investing in our players, team members, fans and community.’
Beyond its modern architectural design, the Mercury’s new practice facility will be one of the best facilities in all of women’s professional sports. It will feature 24/7 access for players and coaching staff, two dedicated practice courts with 10 baskets, and a wide range of amenities including a fitness room and functional movement area, which includes hot and cold pools and underwater treadmills, a player and family lounge, film room, and an expansive locker room with state-of-the-art technology. The facility will also have a dedicated kitchen and chef, ensuring that the Mercury players and staff have best-in-class amenities at their disposal.
The Suns and Mercury team member business headquarters will be designed to make the Suns and Mercury the best organizations to work in sports. The new headquarters will provide an open work environment that will foster collaboration and a positive work culture. World-class amenities and resources will include indoor and outdoor basketball courts, an indoor arcade, a pickleball court and putting green, a workout facility and a showcase kitchen stocked with complimentary beverages and healthy snacks for team members, among other amenities. Future home to hundreds of employees, the headquarters will also include a Suns and Mercury team shop and a visual presentation of the Suns and Mercury’s Ring of Honor.
Transwestern’s Sports & Entertainment Advisory Group led the real estate transaction and is assisting in the design, construction and fit-out process.” (via Suns)
What This Means for the Mercury
The Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces are currently the only two WNBA teams with their own dedicated practice facility.
The Mercury share a practice facility with the Suns right now. The facility just opened in 2021, but it becomes tough when both teams have to use it.
Now, not only will the Mercury get a state-of-the0-art facility, all of both team’s employees will have facilities to make them “the best organizations to work in sports.”
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
