Phoenix Mercury to Give Away Diana Taurasi Bobblehead on Aug. 26th

(Phoenix, AZ) – The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury will celebrate the return of WNBA games and its six returning Olympians when the team resumes regular season action against the Dallas Wings this Friday, August 26 at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Mercury will honor its Olympians’ success by giving away 2,500 bobbleheads of now four-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi.

The bobblehead, courtesy of State Farm, features Taurasi in a purple Mercury uniform wearing three WNBA Championship rings, all won with the Mercury, three NCAA Championship rings from her time at UCONN, and four gold medals. With their victory on Saturday, Taurasi (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings joined Teresa Edwards and Lisa Leslie as the only four-time gold-medal winners in Team USA Women’s Basketball history.

Friday’s game marks the first of 10 remaining regular season games (four at home), and will celebrate medal-winners Taurasi and Brittney Griner (Team USA, gold), Marta Xargay (Spain, silver) and Sonja Petrovic (Serbia, bronze); Penny Taylor (Australia) and Lindsey Harding (Belarus) also return from Rio, where the Mercury was the best-represented WNBA team.  The night’s festivities will include a number of in-game elements such as special introductions, video features and the “Mascot Games”, where Scorch goes head-to-head with mascots from around the Valley.

Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used shoes to donate to Brittney Griner’s cause, BG’s Heart and Sole. For every pair of shoes donated, fans will be entered into a raffle for autographed Griner merchandise. All shoes donated will go to the Phoenix Rescue Mission to help those in need.

The core that won it all in 2014 is back!  Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor return to join 2015 All-Star trioBrittney Griner, Candice Dupree and DeWanna Bonner as the Phoenix Mercury pursue a league-record tying fourth WNBA title in 2016.  Tickets for the Mercury-Dallas match-up, on August 26 and the other regular-season Mercury home games can be purchased by calling 602.252.WNBA or by visiting PhoenixMercury.com