Dancers show off their moves for Suns audition

All eyes may be on the Arizona Cardinals training camp, but another group of elite athletes also is undergoing intense evaluation the next week or two.

The only difference? The salary. And maybe a few tears for those who don’t make the cut.

Roughly half of the 90 women who made it through the weekend’s annual tryouts for the Phoenix Suns Dancers now are undergoing training camp as coaches work to whittle it down to the 16 to 18 women who will perform during the 2015-16 NBA season.

Veteran Suns dancers competed with walk-ons Saturday, Aug. 1 at Talking Stick Resort, Scottsdale. Dancers learned a one-minute routine and then tried to impress judges while performing in large and small groups.

“Each year we make sure it’s a level playing field, giving everyone an equal chance,” Suns spokesman Sean Gale said. “No one is promised a spot on the team year to year. They have to earn it.”

Gale said the selection process should be completed by next week, with the dance team unveiled by mid-August.

For those wondering – most of those auditioning were in their early 20s, and no men showed up to throw their headshots into the ring.

Photos: Tryouts for 2015-16 Phoenix Suns dancers