PHOENIX -- Briann January's fairy tale was almost too good to be true.But the rigors of rock-and-roll got in the way.
Thursday night's game in the WNBA Finals, Game 2 between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever, was going to be played at Wells Fargo Arena on the Arizona State campus because the band AC/DC had an Oct. 1 concert scheduled at US Airways Center.
But when AC/DC canceled the show after singer Brian Johnson fell ill, the Mercury got their home court back and January missed her chance to go back and play in the gym where she starred as a Sun Devil.
"I got so excited when I heard we were going to play there," said January, who was a two-time Pac-10 defensive player of the year and the school's all-time assist leader. "I was joking with (USC products and teammates) Shay Murphy and Ebony Hoffman that we were going to bring back the old Pac-10 days."
"This is fine," January said, tongue-in-cheek. "We can play here too."
January is the local girl made good. She is back in Arizona as a WNBA finalist. She's just on the opposing team. So when she entered the game in the second quarter Tuesday night, her reception from the partisan home crowd was a little less than it could have been.
"I saw some people in ASU shirts and familiar faces," January said. "The first time I came out here, and I subbed in, I heard some noise, but now it's the playoffs and the Mercury fans are serious and I totally get that."
Her former coach, Charli Turner Thorne will be in the seats Thursday night. January went to her old coach's office for a pick-me-up after Tuesday night's loss.
"She's doing great and I'm excited that her season gets to end in Arizona," Turner Thorne said. "She is a great fit for Indiana."
January, who was the No. 6 pick in the 2009 draft, is averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 assists a game off the bench. She began the season as the starter before Fever head coach Lin Dunn went back to veteran Tully Bevilaqua.
"I don't consider her a rookie anymore," Dunn said. "She has come off the bench and won some games for us. She's a tough defender, she plays hard. She brings a lot to our team."
``I'm going to leave everything on the court, and when you play like that, there's no pressure on yourself."
- Briann January January said she's not feeling any pressure playing in her adopted hometown. She and Dunn talked on the topic the first time the Fever played in Phoenix earlier in the season.
"I don't think there's pressure at all. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and whatever happens, happens," January said. "I'm going to leave everything on the court, and when you play like that, there's no pressure on yourself."
January, a Spokane native, will return to Arizona in a couple of weeks when the season is over. Her younger sister, Kiara, is playing community college ball in Arizona.
"This is the perfect place for me to work out. I love Arizona so much," January said. "I've grown to love it here."
January said her rookie year as a pro could not have turned out better.
"This whole season has kind of worked out just perfect," January said. "I couldn't ask for more. I just feel so blessed to be in this situation, to be able to come back to where my game took off in the first place, to show people where my game has been taken to. It's just awesome to show them what I've done, and it's good because those are the people who've supported me for the past four years."
