History hasn’t exactly been kind to the Phoenix Mercury when it comes to playoff home games. Back in 2018, they had to move a first-round matchup against the Dallas Wings out of Talking Stick Resort Arena because of a J. Cole concert. That wasn’t the only time. In 2021, their single-elimination first-round game against the New York Liberty got displaced by a Maluma concert. Later that same postseason, the Mercury had to relocate their semifinal home games against the Las Vegas Aces out of Footprint Center due to a Disney on Ice show.
Now, it’s not uncommon for WNBA playoff games to be shifted to a different venue because of prior arena commitments. Take the Golden State Valkyries, for example. In their inaugural season, they had to move their first-round home playoff game against the Minnesota Lynx from Chase Center to SAP Center in San Jose due to the Laver Cup tennis tournament. A team that had sold out all 22 of its home games was suddenly forced to play its very first playoff home game away from home. Absolutely brutal.
But the Mercury wouldn’t face that kind of fate this time. WBB reporter Roberta F. Rodrigues noted that the Jonas Brothers, originally scheduled to perform at the Phoenix Arena this Sunday, agreed to postpone their Valley concert by a day after the Mercury forced at least a Game 4 with their overtime 89-83 win on Tuesday.
The Jonas Brothers were originally set to perform at PHX Arena on Sunday night as part of their JONAS20 Hometown Tour. With the Mercury forcing a Game 4, the concert has been pushed to Monday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Game 3 will take place Friday at 6:30 p.m., and Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m.–both in Phoenix.
This is a testament to the growth the WNBA has seen in recent years. Last season alone, the league drew an all-time record of over 54 million unique viewers across ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, and NBA TV. While much of that surge was driven by Caitlin Clark, this season has shown that fans are increasingly appreciating the league for the product itself.
In August, the WNBA announced that its 13 teams have drawn a total of 2,501,609 fans over 226 games this season—surpassing the previous attendance record set in 2002, when the league had 16 teams. Back then, it took 256 games to reach that milestone. With the season still ongoing, the league is well on track to cross the 3 million mark by the end. That’s not all!
Even with Caitlin Clark playing just 13 games this season, the WNBA still managed a modest boost in viewership. The 2025 season averaged 969,000 viewers across ESPN networks, ION, and CBS—a 3% increase compared to last year, according to Sports Media Watch. That’s all because of the product that the W offers.
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According to Chloe Peterson of IndyStar, Game 1 between the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx drew an average of 716,000 viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA semifinal game on ESPN since 1999. And with the way the series is unfolding, this will only continue….
Will the Phoenix Mercury win Game 3?
After a strong start in Game 1, the Mercury ran out of steam and found themselves in a tough spot in Game 2. Trailing by 20 points with less than six minutes left in the third quarter, it looked like they would need to beat the league’s top team three straight times just to reach the Finals. But then came Kathryn Westbeld. Her introduction in the third quarter completely shifted the momentum and changed the course of the game.
She immediately turned the game around, scoring 8 points–including two crucial three-pointers–pulling down a rebound, and swiping two steals. By the end of the quarter, the Lynx’s lead had shrunk to just 8 points. It was the kind of game-changing performance every coach dreams of.
With the Mercury boasting a 15-7 home record and the next two games set at Phoenix Arena, the momentum clearly favors them. The fact that the games aren’t being moved to another venue is a testament to the fans’ love for the Mercury and speaks volumes about the WNBA’s growing brand. That said, can the Lynx bounce back in Game 3 and reassert their dominance? Stay tuned to find out!