Press Release

(June 17, 2009) The Phoenix Mercury today announced that former Mercury forward and fan favorite Kayte Christensen will join play-by-play announcer Tom Leander as color analyst this season for the club's two home local telecasts on FOX Sports Arizona. The duo will make its debut this Sunday, June 21, as the Mercury hosts the Seattle Storm at US Airways Center at 5 p.m. The second local telecast is set for July 15 versus the Sacramento Monarchs.

Christensen most recently completed her second season as a basketball analyst for the Sacramento Kings' pregame and postgame shows on Comcast SportsNet in Sacramento, Calif. Her broadcasting career includes appearances on Phoenix Suns pregame shows, hosting "Nothin' But Net", Suns.com's weekly Webcast, and serving as a feature correspondent for MLB.com.

The 28-year-old University of California, Santa Barbara graduate was drafted by Phoenix in the third round (40th overall) of the 2002 WNBA Draft. She spent six years playing in the WNBA, including four full seasons and parts of a fifth for the Mercury.

Leander enters his ninth season as the Mercury's television play-by-play broadcaster. He recently completed his sixth season calling all Suns games televised on My45. He also hosts the Suns pregame show for all FOX Sports Arizona telecasts. Leander graduated from and began his broadcasting career at Loyola Marymount University, the alma mater of Mercury Head Coach Corey Gaines.