WNBA Players Bestow Elite Honor on Mercury

An anonymous poll of current WNBA players conducted by The Athletic has revealed that the players regard the Phoenix Mercury as the best-run franchise in the league.

Mercury forward Satou Sabally talks with the media at the Phoenix Mercury Practice Facility after signing as a free agent in Phoenix on Feb. 4, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

An anonymous poll of current WNBA players conducted by The Athletic has revealed that the players regard the Phoenix Mercury as the best-run franchise in the league.

Players were asked which franchise, aside from their own, was the most well-run the Phoenix came out on top, with 28.6% of the vote, edging out the reigning champion New York Liberty, who were in second with 25.7%. On the other end, the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun (the latter of which two Mercury players, DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas, left last offseason) were chosen as the league's worst-run.

Players always love playing in warm climates, of course, but the real star of the show here is the state-of-the-art practice facility they opened in 2024, undoubtedly the envy of many other franchises around the league. The $100 million, 58,000 square foot facility is the Mercury's own, not shared with the NBA's Phoenix Suns, and features two courts, 10 hoops, and built-in analytics technology.

The private chef and massage rooms are an added bonus, but the real value in the facilities is what they mean. In a world where women's teams are often treated as an afterthought, the enormous, highly advanced facility is a signal that team owner Mat Ishbia is willing to go the extra mile and spend on the WNBA team he owns, just as he is with his NBA team.

Last year's players expressed their excitement over the new facilities on social media and some even semi-jokingly used their posts as pitches to potential upcoming free agents who may have been considering Phoenix. The U.S. Olympic team has also trained there, serving as a great showcase to stars from other teams.

When it opened, Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein said, "This practice facility sets the standard for what it means to invest in women’s sports. From performance to recovery to team culture, we are providing our players with the space and amenities they need to be and feel their best."

Based on players' responses in the survey, it looks like that signal was heard loud and clear, not just in the Phoenix locker room, but all around the league. It won't be a big surprise if Phoenix continues to sign big free agents in the future.

The courts are named after Diana Taurasi, the six-time Olympian and WNBA all-time leading scorer.

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