'Our Teams Are Artists': Get A First Look At The Women's Final Four Court In Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (WCCO) – With the start of the NCAA women's Final Four just days away, Target Center is putting the finishing touches together for the event.
On Sunday morning, crews installed a handcrafted court – specially designed for the event.
"The court itself starts with a design and idea from the team at the NCAA," said Jeff Krejsa, VP of marketing for Connor Sports, who crafted the court. "The graphics for the women's tournament are always a little more fun, a little more creative."
Made of 262 panels – each weighting about 188 pounds -- the court's installation took just a few hours to complete.
The wood itself comes from maple trees in the Upper Peninsula town of Amasa.
"It's all northern maple hardwood," Krejsa said. "So this is 20-, 30-year-old trees, to be able to have the density of wood to actually become a basketball court."
The court is crafted with athlete safety in mind, Krejsa said, with layered wood designed to limit impact and spread weight distribution evenly.
"That is the attention to detail that we put into these courts," he said.
