Lawyers for former Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue filed a lawsuit against the organization on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Arizona alleging “unequal treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for complaints about unequal treatment.” Blue was named the team’s interim coach in June 2023, and she had a 7-21 record in the interim role. Blue claims that the Mercury organization “set her up to fail, making roster decisions in 2023 that made the team noncompetitive.” One of Blue’s lawyers is Sheree Wright, who has “filed other suits” against the Suns and Mercury in recent seasons. Suns and Mercury SVP/Communications Stacey Mitch in a statement said, “This is the fifth lawsuit brought against the organization by Sheree Wright. … Like Ms. Wright’s other cases, this case is completely meritless” (AP, 7/3).
