NEW YORK (AP) - Move over, Roger Federer. Venus and Serena Williams, too. The WNBA is taking over center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Since opening in 1997, the world's largest outdoor tennis-only venue has been the main stadium for the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It's where the Williams sisters have won two women's titles each, and Federer the last four men's championships.
On Saturday night, there will be a different ball bouncing on the court when the New York Liberty host the Indiana Fever in the first outdoor regular-season game in professional basketball history - men's or women's.
"I've always my whole career wanted to be a standard-bearer, and we've done that," Liberty president and general manager Carol Blazejowski said. "We've done that by being a charter member in this league, by (playing at) Radio City (Music Hall), and we've done it by taking the game outside. Quite a leap of faith, but a risk worth taking."
The Liberty played six games at Radio City in 2004 while the Republican Convention took over Madison Square Garden. Now, the team is excited to have another opportunity to make history.
"This has to be, if not the same, even more exciting," said Shameka Christon, who along with Erin Thorn are the only remaining players from the team four years ago. "Just to be the first to say, 'We did that.' No one can take that away. I'm a part of two historical milestones. It's really great."
The Liberty held their first practice on the outdoor court Friday night as the players tried to get a feel for the environment.
"It's going to be trial and error for everybody," point guard Loree Moore said. "We all played outdoors. Once you get that feel of it, and the first shot goes up and you catch some wind or you don't, you get to know how you need to shoot it."
Christen doesn't expect it to affect her game, either.
"There's a little breeze, but it's not going to discourage me from shooting," she said. "If my shot doesn't fall, I'm just going to go to the basket. I told my teammates I don't know about the long distance 3s this time, but we'll see. I might launch a couple."
Indiana, which played at home against Seattle on Friday night, practiced outdoors on July 10, taking their court into the parking lot of Conseco Fieldhouse, their home arena.
"I'm excited about it," Fever star Tamika Catchings said. "It'll be the first time in history, so anytime you make history it's important. It'll be a great atmosphere, just going out there."
Catchings was also part of the first outdoor women's college game when Tennessee played Arizona State at Bank One Ballpark, the Arizona Diamondbacks' baseball stadium, on Dec. 27, 2000.
