Is It Time to Expand Seating Capacity for Mercury Games?

With the Phoenix Mercury selling out most of their home games, it is time to increase the seating capacity so they can draw bigger crowds?

Jul 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury fans in the crowd celebrate the shot by forward Alyssa Thomas against the Minnesota Lynx during the second half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On August 15th, the Phoenix Mercury wrapped up a four-game homestand with a narrow loss to the surging Las Vegas Aces, giving the Mercury an 11-6 home record for the season. According to the team's official X account, the game was also sold out, with 10,850 fans in attendance cheering on the home team in a heated rivalry matchup. It was the Mercury's 13th sellout in 17 home games.

It's an impressive figure for a team that, for the first time in over two decades, no longer employs Diana Taurasi, the former face of the league and arguably the greatest women's basketball player of all time. Despite the WNBA icon -- a player so impactful that many think the silhouette in the league's logo is based on her -- no longer getting buckets in PHX arena, the team has sold out more than three quarters of their home games, an impressive mark, but not a surprising one considering the Mercury have one of the best supporter bases in the W.

Still, those tracking the attendance figures may have noticed how much variance there is. The sold out crowd against Vegas numbered 10,850, but 13,953 people showed up to watch the team take on the Atlanta Dream. Basically, tickets aren't sold for the entirety of the arena, which can hold more people than are typically expected at Mercury games.

Mercury Fans

Fans cheer during a game between the Fever and the Mercury at PHX Arena in Phoenix on Aug. 7, 2025. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

But, the near-constant sellouts does give the impression that the team could expand the seating capacity for Mercury games and sell more tickets, albeit possibly at the expense of being able to record some games as sellouts. According to the arena's website, the venue can seat about 18,000 for basketball games, but only the NBA's Phoenix Suns routinely get access to the full range of seats.

According to the attendance figures, the Mercury average 11,086 fans per game, up from 9,197 in 2023 and 10,715 in 2024, per Statista. And the numbers have been trending upward as the season has gone on.

There were fewer than 10,000 in attendance in five of Phoenix's first seven home games this season. That number has dipped below 10K just once in the 10 games since, and they've had more than 13,000 in attendance four times, with a season-high 17,071 coming during their home win against the Indiana Fever on August 7th.

It's a positive sign for both the Mercury and the league as a whole. In the early part of the season, Front Office Sports found that WNBA attendance was up 13% over 2024. And while it's common practice to block off parts of arenas for WNBA games, which typically draw fewer fans than NBA games, there's also a recent success story that suggests the Mercury could benefit from opening up the arena to full or near-full capacity for their home games.

The New York Liberty stopped limiting their capacity this season, going from 12,000 to over 17,000. In response, their attendance shot up to over 16,000 a game. Not quite a constant sellout, but a significant boost.

Time will tell if the Mercury decide to take advantage of the full capacity of PHX Arena, but with the league's popularity soaring and the WNBA looking to improve its profitability, the time to use the arena to its full potential may be coming soon.

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