The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury will tip off the 22nd season in franchise history on Friday, May 18, in the Fry’s Food Stores Home Opener at Talking Stick Resort Arena, the team and league announced today. Opening Night begins a jam-packed Opening Weekend that will feature the league’s first #WNBAAllDay on Sunday, May 20, in which all 12 teams will be in action consecutively from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern.
The Mercury’s 34-game regular season slate, which will be played over 94 days this summer due to the 2018 FIBA World Championships, is included below and attached.
After a fifth consecutive trip to the WNBA’s “final four” (eighth appearance in the last nine years) in 2017, and led by WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi and 2017 WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner, an already improved Phoenix roster opens against the Dallas Wings at 7 p.m. Friday before traveling to Seattle to take on the Storm on Sunday, May 20, as part of #WNBAAllDay.
Phoenix’s 2018 schedule is heavily back-loaded with home games, which will see the Mercury play nine of the season’s final 11 games at home, the most in franchise history over the final 11 games of the season. Phoenix will make three road trips of three games or more by mid-July, including a stretch where the team plays eight out of nine games on the road-two four-game road trips (June 24-30, July 8-15) sandwiched around a single home game (July 5).
Ten of the Mercury’s 17 home games will be played on the weekend-five on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday-including both matchups with the defending champion Minnesota Lynx, who visit on Friday, June 22, and Saturday, July 21.
The WNBA’s balanced schedule (three matchups against 10 teams, four meetings with the 11th, regardless of conference) will see the Mercury make two visits to Atlanta, Dallas, Indiana, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York, and twice host Chicago, Connecticut, Minnesota, Seattle and Washington. While last season’s Mercury schedule did not feature any back-to-back games, due to the shortened calendar, Phoenix will play three back-to-back sets in 2018. Two of those are home games followed by trips to take on the new Las Vegas Aces the very next night. Phoenix faces Las Vegas four times overall.
The Mercury will be featured on ESPN2 twice this season on Friday, June 1 at Minnesota, and on Sunday, August 12, against Los Angeles. A complete local television schedule will be announced on a later date.
All Mercury home games Tuesday through Saturday will begin at 7 p.m. Phoenix time, with the exception of Phoenix’s annual matinee game tipping off at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25 against Chicago. Two of the Mercury’s Sunday home games (June 10, August 19) will begin at 3 p.m., while Sunday’s game against Los Angeles on August 12 will start at 4 p.m.
WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi and 2017 WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner return to Phoenix this summer, as the duo attempts to lead the Mercury to a WNBA-record tying fourth championship in 2018. Tickets for Fry’s Food Stores Opening Night on Friday, May 18, can be purchased by calling 602.252.WNBA or by visiting PhoenixMercury.com.
2018 PHOENIX MERCURY SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME NATIONAL TV
MAY (3 home/2 away)
Fri. 18 DALLAS 7 p.m.
Sun. 20 @ Seattle 6 p.m.
Wed. 23 SEATTLE 7 p.m.
Sun. 27 @ Los Angeles 2 p.m.
Wed. 30 WASHINGTON 7 p.m.
JUNE (4 home/9 away)
Fri. 1 @ Minnesota 5 p.m. ESPN2
Sun. 3 @ Atlanta 12 p.m.
Tue. 5 @ New York 8 a.m.
Fri. 8 CHICAGO 7 p.m.
Sun. 10 LAS VEGAS 3 p.m.
Tue. 12 @ Dallas 5 p.m.
Sat. 16 CONNECTICUT 7 p.m.
Sun. 17 @ Las Vegas 5 p.m.
Fri. 22 MINNEOSTA 7 p.m.
Sun. 24 @ Chicago 3 p.m.
Tue. 26 @ New York 4 p.m.
Fri. 29 @ Indiana 4 p.m.
Sat. 30 @ Washington 4:30 p.m.
JULY (5 home/4 away)
Thu. 5 CONNECTICUT 7 p.m.
Sun. 8 @ Atlanta 12 p.m.
Tue. 10 @ Dallas 5 p.m.
Fri. 13 @ Connecticut 4 p.m.
Sun. 15 @ Indiana 2 p.m.
Thu. 19 LAS VEGAS 7 p.m.
Sat. 21 MINNESOTA 7 p.m.
Wed. 25 CHICAGO 12:30 p.m.
Tue. 31 SEATTLE 7 p.m.
AUGUST (5 home/2 road)
Wed. 1 @ Las Vegas 7 p.m.
Sun. 5 @ Los Angeles 4 p.m.
Tue. 7 WASHINGTON 7 p.m.
Fri. 10 INDIANA 7 p.m.
Sun. 12 LOS ANGELES 4 p.m. ESPN2
Fri. 17 ATLANTA 7 p.m.
Sun. 19 NEW YORK 3 p.m.
All times local PHOENIX time.
Home games in CAPS. All Mercury home games played at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Game times and dates are subject to change.