Fever trounce Liberty in outdoor game

Jul 20, 2008 - 2:04 AM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- History was made Saturday, when the Indiana Fever posted a 71-55 victory over the New York Liberty in a WNBA game that was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the home of the United States Tennis Open.

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

The excitement showed at the outset as the starting lineup for the home-standing Liberty was announced while fireworks were set off as each player ran onto the floor in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 19,393.

But on a humid evening, the teams did not carry over that pre-game electricity into the contest itself.

Katie Douglas scored 20 points and Tamika Catchings added 15 and nine rebounds for Indiana, which outscored New York, 18-8, in the opening period to set the tone for the sluggish game.

Janel McCarville was the lone player in double figures with 10 points for the Liberty, who had a memorable 102-96 triple-overtime victory over the Fever earlier this season.

But while Saturday's game was a historic event, it was not the first time Indiana and New York have played a game in the "Big Apple" 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.

Basketball's foray into outdoor competition came after the NHL staged a regular-season game on New Year's Day between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills.