CarMax’s multi-year agreement with the Mercury is the company’s first-ever WNBA team partnership

The Phoenix Mercury announced today a new partnership with CarMax, the nation’s largest buyer and seller of used cars. As part of the multi-year agreement, CarMax is now the official auto retailer of the Phoenix Mercury.

In December 2020, CarMax was named the official auto retailer of the NBA and WNBA – the first automotive retail partnership in WNBA history. Today, CarMax furthered its investment in women’s professional basketball by signing a deal with the Mercury – the company’s first partnership with a WNBA team.

“The Mercury franchise is an iconic organization with a highly engaged fan base and a great addition to our roster of professional sports partnerships,” said Jim Lyski, CMO, who oversees corporate strategy, marketing, and product at CarMax. “By teaming up with the Mercury, we’re signaling our company’s commitment to the future of women’s sports, the WNBA and to the Phoenix region.”

CarMax opened its first Phoenix-area stores in 2008 and today employs more than 600 associates who live and work in the region. CarMax area locations include its West Valley, Gilbert, and Scottsdale stores, as well as a Customer Experience Center (contact center) in Tempe where associates help customers who are shopping for and buying vehicles remotely.

The scope of the Mercury agreement includes CarMax as a founding member of the Phoenix Mercury Changemakers, a cohort of global brands that value diversity, equity and inclusion, and back their commitment with an investment in women’s sports at the highest level.

“This is an investment and an alignment of brands,” said Mercury President Vince Kozar. “And it’s a clear signal that the fight for equity in sports is really important, not just to us, but to like-minded companies who have been doing this work. We are proud to add CarMax to the Mercury family.”

Debuting this year, the Mercury Changemakers includes Fry’s Food Stores, PayPal, Verizon, Bally’s Corporation and now CarMax.

As a part of this transformational group, CarMax has access to one of the Mercury’s most valuable, and most-coveted marketing assets – the playing surface. The Mercury’s home court is now emblazoned with CarMax branding in front of the team’s bench and is widely visible during each and every home game at the newly-renovated Footprint Center in the heart of Downtown Phoenix.With the exponential growth of the WNBA, there has never been a better opportunity for brands to align themselves with the league and women’s sports.

“When you have a pleasure to watch people like Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury, you see greatness and opportunity to raise the floor and level set about what these athletes are doing,” said Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury Chief Revenue Officer Dan Costello.

The partnership includes new one-of-a-kind content elements that elevate the fan experience and bring them closer to the team than ever before.

The CarMax Cam – introduced at the start of the 2021 WNBA Season – is a high-quality camera mounted below the hoop that gives fans an exclusive view of the Mercury’s greatest plays each night, from a vantage point available nowhere else.

Additionally, the Mercury will debut an exclusive behind-the-scenes content series featuring Diana Taurasi, chronicling this season’s journey for her and the team, both on and off the court.

Taurasi summed up her excitement for the partnership by noting, “The work CarMax and the Mercury are doing together is really important in continuing to elevate our game, both with our loyal fans here in Phoenix and around the country. CarMax joining the Mercury Changemakers group shows they are here to make a difference, and here to stay.”

CarMax will also be featuring Taurasi in the third installment of the auto retailer’s “Call Your Shot” content series alongside Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Stephen Curry, and Zach LaVine. The commercial spots highlight the parallels of players’ on-court confidence with the confidence CarMax instills in customers. Featured consumer offerings include the ability to buy online, the Love Your Car Guarantee with 24-hour test drives and 30-day money-back guarantee returns (up to 1,500 miles), and CarMax’s online offers where customers can get an offer from CarMax to buy their car in less than two minutes.

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