The Phoenix Mercury web site is locked down until Monday’s big announcement

Update: The Lifelock logo was deleted from the padlock image on the site.

Visitors to the Phoenix Mercury’s web site this weekend are greeted with a splash page indicating the site is locked down. The marketing tactic, complete with a sound effect of locks being installed, is obviously related to Monday’s league announcement in New York City since two Mercury players are a part of the event.

Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter will be on hand for what is being described by the Mercury as the biggest event in the team’s history. WNBA fans have been abuzz since Friday when the Mercury sent out its X-Factor email newsletter describing the occasion.

Is the flamboyant owner of Spartak Moscow, Shabtai von Kalmanovic, going to buy the Mercury? I doubt it but all signs point to an ownership change. Will it be Mercury GM and Suns VP Ann Meyers Drysdale? Is it a corporate entity like Lifelock? It is their branding on the splash page. We’ll see.

The choice of New York as the location for the event is puzzling but maybe the glitz and glamour of the big apple means a takeover by someone with a high public profile. This is all conjecture of course, so take it with a grain of salt.

In the meantime, all direct links to the site are gone except for two options: 1) sign up for Mercury text updates or 2) click a link to Ticketmaster to buy game tickets.

All of site’s content is still there but it takes a bit of typing and some simple logic to get to it (or just use Google to search for what you want and look for Mercury web site links). This was frustrating for fans during Saturday’s Phoenix-Seattle preseason matchup because the roster was not readily accessible.

While it is relatively easy to get around that splash page for many, it is not so easy for the less tech-savvy. For the average Josephine just looking for some basic information, figuring out URL workarounds can be annoying and downright daunting.

All rosters though can be reached via this simple URL format: http://wnba.com/moniker_of_team/roster

1. Atlanta Dream, http://www.wnba.com/dream/roster/
2. Chicago Sky, http://www.wnba.com/sky/roster/
3. Connecticut Sun, http://www.wnba.com/sun/roster/
4. Detroit Shock, http://www.wnba.com/shock/roster/
5. Indiana Fever, http://www.wnba.com/fever/roster/
6. Los Angeles Sparks, http://www.wnba.com/sparks/roster/
7. Minnesota Lynx, http://www.wnba.com/lynx/roster/
8. New York Liberty, http://www.wnba.com/liberty/roster/
9. Phoenix Mercury, http://www.wnba.com/mercury/roster/
10. Sacramento Monarchs, http://www.wnba.com/monarchs/roster/
11. San Antonio Silver Stars, http://www.wnba.com/silverstars/roster/
12. Seattle Storm, http://www.wnba.com/storm/roster/
13. Washington Mystics, http://www.wnba.com/mystics/roster/