Liberty to host Fever in outdoor game

Jul 18, 2008 - 10:41 PM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- History will be made Saturday, when the New York Liberty host the Indiana Fever in a WNBA game that will be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the home of the United States Tennis Open.

The contest, called the Liberty Outdoor Classic, will be the first regular-season outdoor game in pro basketball history. It also will be the first non-tennis sporting event to take place at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

"I'm excited because I haven't played outdoors since high school," New York guard Loree Moore said. "It's going to a little different because I haven't done it in a very long time. But I think it's going to be very interesting to see how everything plays out. I think it's going to be a great game."

However, it will not be the first time the Liberty and Fever have played a game in New York at a venue other than Madison Square Garden.

In 2004, New York posted a 77-71 overtime victory over Indiana in a game that was played at Radio City Music Hall. The Liberty played there to accommodate the Republican National Convention.

The NBA staged a 1972 preseason game between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks at a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Following the WNBA's lead, the NBA will conduct its own outdoor game in October, when the Suns play the Denver Nuggets in a preseason contest in Indian Wells, California.