For decades, the WNBA has been treated like the younger sibling forced to wear hand-me-downs while the NBA basked in the designer wardrobe of billion-dollar facilities. But Mat Ishbia, owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, just flipped the script and tossed the WNBA a shiny $100 million mic drop.
The billionaire, who forked over a casual $4 billion in December 2022 to buy both Phoenix franchises, clearly decided that mediocrity isn’t his style. After splurging on Kevin Durant to bolster the Suns, Ishbia turned his sights to the Phoenix Mercury. Instead of treating the women’s team like a side hustle, he built them a state-of-the-art training facility designed to make other owners sweat.
The crown jewel? A practice court named after the GOAT herself, Diana Taurasi. Talk about rolling out the purple carpet for the Mercury.
“Why Just Be Good When You Can Be the Best?”
In a mic-drop interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania, Ishbia explained his over-the-top vision:
“I don’t want to have the best facility in the WNBA or the NBA. I want to have the best for a year and then watch someone else scramble to outdo us. Let’s rise up, set the standard, and make this league impossible to ignore.”
Translation: Come at me, billionaires.
While other WNBA owners were busy pinching pennies, Ishbia was out here raising the stakes. This isn’t just about fancy locker rooms and shiny courts—it’s a declaration that the WNBA deserves the big bucks.
Setting the Trend Before It Was Cool
Before the WNBA’s meteoric rise last season, Ishbia was already laying the groundwork. Now, the league is buzzing louder than a courtside Karen after a missed foul call. Thanks to stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, TV ratings are through the roof, and the league’s landmark media rights deal is about to pump serious cash into its veins.
And the ripple effect? Teams like the Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks are now drafting their own facility blueprints, desperate not to be left in Ishbia’s dust.
The Diana Taurasi Effect
Naming the practice court after Diana Taurasi isn’t just a sentimental nod; it’s a power move. Taurasi is basketball royalty, and Ishbia’s investment is like telling the world, “This is what we’re about—excellence, dominance, and no excuses.”
With college sensations like Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins ready to storm the league, Ishbia’s gamble is looking less like a risk and more like a masterstroke. The WNBA is gearing up for expansion, and investment groups are practically throwing applications at the league office.
What’s Next? A WNBA Arms Race
Mat Ishbia didn’t just build a facility; he built a gauntlet. By pouring $100 million into the Mercury, he’s dared other owners to level up or risk looking like they’re running their teams out of a high school gym.
The WNBA’s Cinderella story is far from over, and if Ishbia has anything to say about it, this league won’t just play second fiddle—it’ll rewrite the symphony.
So here’s to Mat Ishbia, the billionaire who not only raised the bar but turned it into a high jump. Other owners, your move.
Phoenix Mercury: Home of the best facility money can buy—and the best billionaire flex we’ve seen in years.
