Mercury Announce 2019 Regular Season Schedule
December 18, 2018 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Phoenix Mercury News Release
PHOENIX - The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury today announced its 2019 regular season schedule, and will tip-off the 23rd season in franchise history on Saturday, May 25 at Seattle in a rematch of last year's thrilling five-game WNBA Semifinals series with the Storm. That game, the marquee game of the WNBA's season launch, will be broadcast on ABC and will be the first of a WNBA-high five nationally-televised Mercury games in 2019.
The PayPal X-Factor's first chance to see WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi, 2017 WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner and 2018 AP Comeback Player of the Year DeWanna Bonner comes Friday, May 31, at Talking Stick Resort Arena at Fry's Food Stores Opening Night with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. Phoenix Time. The game will be nationally-televised on ESPN2.
The 2019 schedule will see the Mercury play 34 games in 108 days, 17 at home and 17 on the road, and zero back-to-back sets. Thirteen of the Mercury's 17 home games will be played on the weekend-six on Friday, one on Saturday and six on Sunday-including both matchups with the west-coast rival Los Angeles Sparks, who visit on Friday, June 14, and Sunday, June 23, and the lone visit by the rival Minnesota Lynx on Friday, September 6. Seattle's lone visit to the desert will also be nationally-televised on Tuesday, September 3, on ESPN2.
The Mercury's schedule is once again heavily back-loaded with home games, which will see Phoenix play nine of its final 14 games at home, just like in 2018. Phoenix will be tested early, kicking off the season with five of its first seven games on the road, including a three-game road trip to begin the team's June slate. The month of August will feature the Mercury's longest home stand of the season with four consecutive games scheduled from August 10-18 in Phoenix.
The WNBA's balanced schedule (three matchups against 10 teams, four meetings with the 11th, regardless of conference) will see the Mercury make two visits to Chicago, Connecticut, Dallas, Minnesota, Seattle and Washington, and twice host Atlanta, Dallas, Indiana, Los Angeles and New York. Phoenix faces Dallas four times overall.
In addition to playing on ABC to open the season, the Mercury will be featured on ESPN2 four times this season, including Fry's Food Stores Opening Night (Friday, May 31 vs. Las Vegas), Friday, July 12 at Connecticut, Thursday, August 8 at Los Angeles, and Tuesday, September 3 vs. Seattle. A complete local television schedule will be announced at a later date.
All 10 of the Mercury home games Tuesday through Saturday will begin at 7 p.m. Phoenix time, with the exception of Phoenix's annual matinee game tipping off at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17 against Dallas. Five of the Mercury's Sunday home games (June 23, July 7, August 4, August 18 and August 25) will begin at 3 p.m., while the season finale on Sunday, September 8, will start at 1 p.m.
WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi and 2017 WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner return to Phoenix this summer, as the duo attempts to lead the Mercury to a WNBA-record tying fourth championship in 2019. Tickets for Fry's Food Stores Opening Night on Friday, May 31, can be purchased by calling 602.252.WNBA or by visiting PhoenixMercury.com.
2019 PHOENIX MERCURY SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME NATIONAL TV
MAY (1 home/1 away)
Sat. 25 @ Seattle 12:30 p.m. ABC
Fri. 31 LAS VEGAS 7 p.m. ESPN2
JUNE (3 home/5 away)
Thu. 6 @ Minnesota 5 p.m.
Sun. 9 @ Indiana 1 p.m.
Tue. 11 @ Chicago 5 p.m.
Fri. 14 LOS ANGELES 7 p.m.
Thu. 20 @ Dallas 5 p.m.
Sun. 23 LOS ANGELES 3 p.m.
Fri. 28 INDIANA 7 p.m.
Sun. 30 @ Seattle 4 p.m.
JULY (4 home/5 away)
Fri. 5 NEW YORK 7 p.m.
Sun. 7 ATLANTA 3 p.m.
Wed. 10 @ Washington 8:30 a.m.
Fri. 12 @ Connecticut 5 p.m. ESPN2
Sun. 14 @ Minnesota 4 p.m.
Wed. 17 DALLAS 12:30 p.m.
Sat. 20 @ Dallas 5 p.m.
Tue. 23 INDIANA 7 p.m.
Tue. 30 @ Washington 4 p.m.
AUGUST (6 home/5 road)
Thu. 1 @ Connecticut 4 p.m.
Sun. 4 WASHINGTON 3 p.m.
Thu. 8 @ Los Angeles 7 p.m. ESPN2
Sat. 10 DALLAS 7 p.m.
Wed. 14 CONNECTICUT 7 p.m.
Fri. 16 ATLANTA 7 p.m.
Sun. 18 NEW YORK 3 p.m.
Tue. 20 @ Las Vegas 7 p.m.
Sun. 25 CHICAGO 3 p.m.
Tue. 27 @ New York 4 p.m.
Fri. 30 @ Atlanta 4:30 p.m.
SEPTEMBER (3 home/1 away)
Sun. 1 @ Chicago 3 p.m.
Tue. 3 SEATTLE 7 p.m. ESPN2
Fri. 6 MINNESOTA 7 p.m.
Sun. 8 LAS VEGAS 1 p.m.
All times local PHOENIX time.
Home games in CAPS. All Mercury home games played at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Game times and dates are subject to change.
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