- Slug: Sports–WNBA All-Star Mural. 662 words.
- 5 photos available
By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News
PHOENIX — When the Phoenix Mercury asked local artist Antoinette Cauley to design a mural for their community project refurbishing local basketball courts, Cauley didn’t hesitate to say yes – even if it meant working in conditions that could be dangerous if she and her team weren’t careful.
Cauley used drone footage to make sketches and outline her design for the mural. She and her team began most days painting at 5:15 a.m. to beat Arizona’s crippling summer heat. Once temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the crew could no longer continue working due to the paint immediately drying when applied to the concrete.
After three weeks, Cauley and the Mercury unveiled the mural and the four refurbished courts at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex last Wednesday, just in time for the WNBA All-Star weekend, which takes place at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix. The events kick off Friday night with the skills challenge and 3-point contest, followed by Saturday’s game featuring a matchup between the WNBA All-Stars and the U.S. Women’s National Team, which will represent the country in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.
Cauley’s mural pays homage to a rich journey central to American sports history.
“They (the Mercury) wanted to tell, or show, the past, present and future for women in sports and women in general,” Cauley said.
The renovated courts, located in central Phoenix, are part of the team’s community initiatives commemorating the upcoming All-Star game and continuing the growth of women’s basketball.
The mural features silhouettes of Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and center Brittney Griner, as well as a young Jr. Mercury Legacy League member, all playing basketball. Cauley also included elements of the Valley, like cactuses and desert roses, to encapsulate the beauty of Phoenix.
“My work is very heavily influenced by the city. It’s very tied into place-based identity,” said Cauley, a Phoenix native who studied Fine Art with an emphasis in painting at Mesa Community College and spent three years in Berlin, Germany, completing an artist residency before returning to the Valley.
In January, the Mercury introduced their Jr. Mercury Legacy all-girls basketball league in partnership with the Valley of the Sun YMCA. The program was created to help young girls develop their skills, embrace friendly competition and form lasting friendships.
Since its inauguration, the league has grown to 400 players and partnered with Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, who was named a league ambassador in April.
During the unveiling of the courts, Mercury and Suns Chief Financial Officer Jim Pitman explained the organization’s efforts to encourage participation in and grow the game of women’s basketball.
“Our goal with these projects was to empower women, youth and our community through basketball,” Pitman said.
After the unveiling, Jr. League members were invited to be among the first players to hit the courts. Some of Cauley’s favorite reactions to the mural were the young athletes in awe of the design and eager to practice their skills at the complex.
Phoenix Deputy City Manager John Chan also attended the unveiling and thanked the Mercury and Suns for their continued investments across the city.
“Projects like this have a positive and lasting impact on the community,” Chan said.
Cauley previously collaborated with the team in 2023 on a mural featuring Griner, who returned to the U.S. following a 10-month detainment in Russia. The goal of the project was to raise awareness for the Bring Our Families Home campaign, which advocates for the release of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas.
That mural, located outside of the Footprint Center, features a portrait of Griner and 14 other former or current hostages and detainees.
The artist is currently working on a solo exhibition that will open Sept. 5 at Mesa Community College. As for the WNBA All-Star weekend, Cauley is looking forward to catching all the action starting Friday.
“I feel like this is just so great for the city. The energy is amazing,” Cauley said.
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
