GM Jim Pitman: Mercury in early stages of finding temporary building

When the Phoenix City Council hosted discussions with the public on funding renovations for Talking Stick Resort Arena, most of the focus was on the Phoenix Suns and not their WNBA co-inhabitants, the Phoenix Mercury.

The multi-year project that was approved by the city may affect the Mercury more directly than the Suns.

“We are very fortunate and we want to thank the city staff and the city council for doing what they have done and stepping forward and helping us renovate our community asset in Talking Stick Resort Arena,” Mercury general manager Jim Pitman told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

“The building will be under construction for two summers in 2020 and 2021 and the Mercury will have to find a temporary home.”

Over the past two seasons, the Mercury have hosted playoff games at ASU’s Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe when they have had conflicts, but it is too early to tell where the team will play for the duration of the renovation.

“We will be playing in Talking Stick Resort Arena this summer,” Pitman said. “We are in discussions now to find out where that home will be for the next two years but once the renovation is done and the new facility is built, it’s a home run for us.”

Pitman said that the Mercury will have their own locker room and be able to use the new practice facility promised to be built and paid for by the Suns, which was included in the deal between the Suns and the city.

“The Mercury will have a great home court advantage, as we always have with our great fans,” Pitman said.

“We are one of the original teams. There are only three of us who have been in the league for 22 years. We have played in the same building for 22 seasons. We are pretty fortunate that starting with Jerry Colangelo and transitioning to Robert Sarver, we have had great ownership leading the Mercury.”

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