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Billie Jean King to be Honored by New York Empire

July 29, 2019 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
New York Empire News Release


NEW YORK - The New York Empire presented by Citi is set to honor tennis icon, Billie Jean King, on Tuesday, July 30 as part of 'Empower Her' night at Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. Ten women who've spent their entire lives inspiring today's youth will be a part of the ceremony.

This is the second year in a row the Empire will honor King and others in partnership with the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF). In addition to the ceremony that will take place between the third and fourth sets, kids will be on-site for a special tennis clinic prior to the first serve at 6:30 tomorrow evening.

Participants in the clinic will receive a complimentary racquet, interact with and take a photo with the New York Empire roster, including Mardy Fish, and participate in a question-and-answer session with Empower Her night honorees, Erin Hamlin and Phaidra Knight.

Hamlin, a WSF Athlete Ambassador and a four-time Olympian, served as Team USA's flag bearer at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She is the first female American luge athlete to medal at any Winter Olympics as well as being the first American of either gender to medal in luge singles competition.

Knight sits on the WSF Board of Trustees and is a WSF Athlete Advisory Panel member. She is a three-time Rugby World Cup participant, an All-World Team honoree, USA Rugby's Player of the Decade and a World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee.

Empower Her Night Honorees

Deborah Antoinette

Executive Director, Women's Sports Foundation

Darcel D. Clark

District Attorney, Bronx County

Vanessa Gibson

Council Member, 16th District of New York City

Erin Hamlin

Four-time Olympian; Team USA's Flag Bearer in Pyeongchang 2018

Olga Harvey

Chief Strategy & Impact Officer, Women's Sports Foundation

Liezel Huber

Executive Director, Cary Leeds Center

Billie Jean King

Tennis Hall of Famer and Co-Founder of World TeamTennis

Phaidra Knight

World Rugby Hall of Famer, USA Rugby's Player of the Decade

Iris Rodriguez-Rosa

Parks Commissioner, New York City

Michele Yu

Emmy Award Winning Television Anchor, NY1

The Empire hosts the Springfield Lasers tonight at Cary Leeds Center before closing out its home schedule on Tuesday, July 30 against the Philadelphia Freedoms. Fish, the former American No. 1, will be a part of both matches for the Empire.

For more information on the New York Empire, visit www.NYEmpireTennis.com or call the team office at (844) 5-EMPIRE (844-536-7473). For more information on World TeamTennis, visit www.WTT.com.

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