The Phoenix Suns announced the official name and branding of its NBA G League affiliate, introducing Valley Suns as Player 15 Group’s third professional sports franchise. The name Valley Suns was inspired by the community, diverse culture and deep-rooted history of the “Valley of the Sun.” The Valley Suns will play all home games at Mullett Arena within the Novus Innovation Corridor on the campus of Arizona State University.
“The Valley Suns is the community’s team and will provide fans an energetic and family-friendly atmosphere while developing aspiring talent on and off the court,” said Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Valley Suns Chief Executive Officer Josh Bartelstein. “We’re excited to launch the new G League team with a name and identity chosen by our fans and inspired by the unique desert landscape that we call home.”
The Valley Suns logo features flickering “V” and “S” flames coming together to create a spherical Sun-shaped icon. The triangles in the logo portray the rising peaks that surround the Valley of the Sun and symbolize elevation and ascending to reach the top. The team’s orange and purple colors were inspired by the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, aligning the Valley basketball franchises.
“We are excited for Mullett Arena to be the home of the Valley Suns,” said General Manager of Mullett Arena Amber Musgrave. “We are dedicated to creating memorable experiences for the community and look forward to extending the ‘Mullett Magic’ beyond our Sun Devil Athletic events, concerts, comedy and family shows to now include the Valley Suns.”
Valley Suns games at Mullett Arena will provide a high-energy and family-friendly experience, offering fans the opportunity to see the top emerging talent in basketball. Fans interested in season tickets can visit the website here.
The NBA G League is a proven developer of NBA talent while also acting as the league’s research and development laboratory, testing innovative new rules for NBA adoption. Currently, more than half of the players on NBA rosters have G League experience and the Valley Suns will serve as an opportunity to develop the young talent on the Phoenix Suns roster.
The Phoenix Suns hosted an online contest to offer fans the chance to name the new NBA G League team, paying homage to how the Phoenix Suns were named in 1968. More than 12,000 fans submitted names for the team, including dozens submitting the chosen identity, Valley Suns. One winner was randomly selected and will receive season tickets to the Valley Suns 2024-25 season.
