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New York Liberty

'08 NY Liberty Season Includes First Regular Season Outdoor Game in Professional Basketball History

April 9, 2008 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


NEW YORK, N.Y. [April 9, 2008] - The New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association will make its mark on the professional basketball landscape when it will play in the first regular season outdoor game in the sport's history. The Liberty Outdoor Classic, between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever, will take place at the home of the US Open -- Arthur Ashe Stadium, located in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens on Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

"The New York Liberty is extremely proud to once again make history as a franchise with the first regular season outdoor game in the history of professional basketball," said Carol Blazejowski, president and general manager, New York Liberty. "The Liberty Outdoor Classic will be an extraordinary experience for everyone in attendance - it will bring all of us back to our roots, celebrate the enormous growth and interest in the women's game and provide an opportunity to gain unprecedented exposure for Liberty basketball and the WNBA. That the game is taking place in a venue named after one of the greatest pioneers in women's sports makes the event particularly meaningful."

In addition to making professional basketball history, the Liberty Outdoor Classic, sponsored by American Express and The Hallmark Channel, will be the first non-tennis sporting event to take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is the largest public outdoor tennis facility in the world.

"It is very appropriate that a trailblazing team like the Liberty play this historic game at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, recently renamed for our sport's greatest trailblazer," said Arlen Kantarian, CEO, Professional Tennis, USTA. "As the home of the US Open and the largest public tennis facility in the world, we are thrilled to welcome New York's greatest basketball fans to experience the stadium in such a unique way."

Additionally, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), an independent 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer, will serve as the beneficiary of the Liberty Outdoor Classic. A portion of the proceeds from the game's ticket sales, as well as various fundraising activities throughout the evening, will benefit the BCRF. This will be the second year that the Liberty has partnered with the BCRF for its annual Breast Health Awareness Night.

Individual game tickets for the Liberty Outdoor Classic as well as the Liberty's 2008 regular season are on sale beginning Thursday. The Liberty will tip-off its twelfth season at Madison Square Garden against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. The month of June begins with a three-game home-stand with heated Western Conference play. New York native Sue Bird along with fellow All-Stars Sheryl Swoopes, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson and the Seattle Storm hit The Garden on Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m.; followed by Tina Thompson and the Houston Comets on June 5 at 7:30 p.m.; and Rutgers alumna Chelsea Newton with the Sacramento Monarchs on Sunday, June 8 at 4:00 p.m. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie will make her return to New York with the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. The regular season will close at home against Bill Laimbeer's Detroit Shock on Sunday, September 14 at 4:00 p.m. For the full season schedule, log onto NYLiberty.com.

Tickets for the 2008 New York Liberty season, including the Liberty Outdoor Classic, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, on-line at NYLiberty.com, through the WNBA Ticketmaster charge-by-phone number 877-WNBA-TIX, all Ticketmaster outlets and at Ticketmaster.com. The ticket prices are $10.00, $15.00, $34.50, $39.50, $64.50, and $85.00. To score a Liberty ticket plan - starting at just three games, call 212-465-6073 to purchase. Group ticket orders of 20 or more can be purchased by calling 212-465-6080.

The New York Liberty basketball team, in its twelfth year of operation with the 2008 season, is a part of Madison Square Garden, L.P., owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and also includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. A not-for-profit organization with 725,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. The Foundation supports scientists at top universities and academic medical centers worldwide conducting the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will lead to prevention and a cure in our lifetime. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. In October 2007, $32 million was awarded to 151 scientists across the United States and in Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. Money magazine named BCRF one of America's eight top charities. And for the seventh consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator's highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99% of the evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades. For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE.

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