The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury today announced its 2018 local television broadcast schedule, which will allow fans to view eight regular season games on the team’s exclusive local television partner, FOX Sports Arizona and/or FOX Sports Arizona Plus. Between the local broadcasts and two nationally-televised games on ESPN2, the Mercury will be on television 10 times in 2018 (six home, four away), while the team’s remaining 11 home games will air via WNBA League Pass, the WNBA’s exclusive streaming service available on WNBA.com and PhoenixMercury.com. A full television broadcast schedule is attached; additional games on Twitter and NBATV will be announced by the league at a later date.
FOX Sports Arizona’s coverage of the 2018 season begins on Fry’s Food Stores Opening Night on Friday, May 18, at 7 p.m. as the Mercury welcomes the Dallas Wings. It will mark the league’s first game of the 2018 season and will be the only game on Friday night to tip-off WNBA Opening Weekend. Additionally, two of the Mercury’s three matchups with its biggest rival, the Minnesota Lynx, will be televised for fans this summer with ESPN2 airing the game on Friday, June 1, and FOX Sports Arizona Plus broadcasting the matchup on Friday, June 22.
The Mercury will be featured on FOX Sports Arizona Plus six additional times: Sunday, June 10 vs. Las Vegas at 3 p.m.; Tuesday, June 12 at Dallas at 5 p.m.; Thursday, July 5 vs. Connecticut at 7 p.m.; Sunday, July 8 at Atlanta at noon; Tuesday, July 10 at Dallas at 5 p.m.; and Friday, August 10 vs. Indiana at 7 p.m. The Mercury are excited to announce that four of those games (May 18 vs. Dallas; June 10 vs. Las Vegas; June 22 vs. Minnesota; and August 10 vs. Indiana) will be joined in progress on FOX Sports Arizona following Arizona Diamondbacks games. All Mercury games are also streamed on the FOX Sports GO app (visit FOXSportsGo.com for more information).
After 20 years behind the microphone for the Mercury, broadcaster Kevin Ray has stepped away from his summer duties with the organization’s sincere gratitude for his two-decade commitment to the team and its fans. Hall-of-Famer Ann Meyers Drysdale returns as color commentator for Phoenix and will be joined by long-time Suns and Mercury host and play-by-play broadcaster Tom Leander.
Information on where to find FOX Sports Arizona Plus for each respective cable or satellite provider is as follows:
Provider Channel
Cable One 40, 731 (HD)
Comcast (Tucson) 31, 258 (HD)
Century Link Choice 34, 329 (HD)
Century Link Prism 762, 1762 (HD)
Cox 34, 1034 (HD)
DirecTV 686, 686 (HD)
DISH 415, 415 (HD)
Media Com 53, 832 (HD)
Orbitel 29, 829 (HD)
Suddenlink NPG 722 (HD)
Western 26, 726 (HD)
Note: Fans can visit FoxSportsArizona.com for more information.
WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi and 2017 WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner return to Phoenix this summer to lead the Mercury in a quest for the franchise’s WNBA-record tying fourth championship. Tickets for Fry’s Food Stores Opening Night on Friday, May 18, and the rest of the Mercury’s 2018 home games are on sale NOW and can be purchased by calling 602.252.WNBA or by visiting PhoenixMercury.com.