Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Footprint Center 201 E Jefferson St Phoenix, AZ 85004
Year Opened: 1992 Capacity: 18,422
Valley Together
The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, AZ, playing in the Western Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team is one of the eight original franchises of the 28-year-old league.
The Mercury is a successful team with three WNBA Championships (2007, 2009, 2014). Attending a Mercury game is a refreshing sports experience; it is still about the sport played on the court and not the other extraneous activities at many other major league sports events.
The team’s name, Mercury, parallels its brethren NBA team, the Phoenix Suns. The NBA team gets its name from the hot Arizona sun, while the WNBA team gets it from the planet nearest the sun. The same businessperson owns both teams.
The Mercury play their home games at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix. The venue also hosts the NBA Suns and other entertainment choices like concerts, WWE, boxing, the Commissioner’s Cup, and more. The arena opened in 1992 as America West Arena and previously hosted the NHL Phoenix Coyotes and ECHL Phoenix RoadRunners hockey, indoor football IFL Arizona Rattlers, and professional indoor soccer. It has had several other names and underwent renovations in 2003 and, most recently, in 2020.
In July 2021, the teams’ organization partnered with Footprint, a plant-based fiber technology company based in Gilbert, AZ, whose mission is creating a healthier planet by reducing dependency on single and short-term-use plastics.
Food & Beverage 4
Footprint Center provides abundant food choices at higher-than-average prices; the selection is much better than standard stadium food.
Some of the food choices include:
larder + the delta (yes – small letters – a local farm-to-table restaurant) offers mouth-watering entrees (various chicken offerings, po’boy sandwiches $13 - $15 and snacks such as cauliflower, low country hurricane popcorn or fries ($8 – $13).
Benihana sells yummy hibachi and poke bowls ($18.50) or sushi rolls ($13.50).
480 Grill, 623 Grill, and 602 Grill (traditional stadium food) are named after AZ’s area codes. They sell nachos, chicken tenders, hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, ice cream, and the like ($8 – $14.50).
Spinatos Pizzeria offers pizza, garlic bread, Caesar salad, etc. $9 – $15.
Wetzel’s Pretzels is a favorite and often has a long line.
Big Chicken sells its original sandwich and an Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot sandwich ($13.50 - $14.50)
The concourse has several Grab &Go stations if you just want an overpriced can of beer or soda.
The concessions sell Coca-Cola sodas ($7.50 - $10) and an uninspiring choice of beers at extremely high prices ($16 - $17.50). A bottle of water costs an outrageous $7.50. The main entrance lobby has a hydration station, so bring an empty bottle and fill up there.
If you plan on eating your dinner at Footprint Center, we recommend getting a bowl from Benihana or a tasty bite from larder + the delta.
Atmosphere 4
The Phoenix Mercury provides a fan-friendly environment with excellent sportsmanship on the court.
Fans can view the seating bowl from the entry area behind a huge lobby bar. The open concourse has two corner bar areas with drink rails and stools overlooking the court. Unfortunately, black drapes close off one of the corner bars for members of the Founder’s Club.
The arena has two levels of seating with suites and a club level in between. Most lower-level sections go up to row 28, with visitors entering on about row 19 and going up or down to their seat row. All seats have decent views, with sections 114 and 115 at center court, facing the logo.
All four ribbon board corners display two lines of closed captioning, but there is none on the side or center-hung video boards.
Footprint Center Closed Captioning, Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
A high-quality video scoreboard is hung high above center court. Being so high is convenient for those on the first level as it allows the fans to watch the game, not the scoreboard. Other video scoreboards are above the baskets AND the sidelines, so there are plenty of places to look for the score, quarter, time, etc. The team posts player stats on the side video boards throughout the game.
The Mercury offers some in-game promotions. A pep squad / dance team, known as the Hip Hop Squad, cheers on the sidelines and performs on the court during some breaks. The game day entertainment crew provides several t-shirt tosses, but mainly, the camera crew displays fans dancing and cheering on the video board.
The music volume is loud. The temperature is cool and comfortable (a good thing for hot Arizona summers). Bring a long-sleeved shirt or sweater if air conditioning generally gets too cold for you.
Neighborhood 5
Downtown Phoenix has a plethora of places to eat, drink, visit, and sleep. Two relatively new dining restaurants nearby are Blanco Cocina + Cantina (Mexican) and The Ainsworth (upscale American restaurant and lounge). Old favorites like Majerle’s Sports Grill, The Arrogant Butcher, Crown Public House, and The Kettle Black Kitchen & Pub are still excellent selections.
If you just want a beer pre or post-game, visit the Whining Pig. Craft beers in cans, bottles, or on draft, mead, wine, and cider are much more affordable here than in the arena.
Other things to visit near the arena are the Arizona Science Center, the Phoenix Police Museum, Heritage & Science Park/Historic Heritage Square. The Phoenix Convention Center is just two blocks from the Footprint Center.
The MLB Arizona D-backs is another sports team to visit in downtown Phoenix during the WNBA season. Occasionally, you can attend a D-backs and Mercury doubleheader.
Recommended places to stay within walking distance of the stadium include the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, Courtyard by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, or Home2 Suites by Hilton Phoenix Downtown. The Hampton Inn and Suites is about five blocks away and may be more affordable than the others.
Fans 4
The Phoenix Mercury attendance generally ranks above the WNBA average with 8K – 10K fans per game this past decade. This number ranks them 1st – 5th in WNBA attendance over the last ten years. This 2024 season saw a surge in fan attendance and followers across all WNBA teams, with the Mercury reaching close to an 11K average per game. Fans are approachable, friendly, and polite and cheer their team on well.
Access 5
Getting to and in and around Footprint Center is relatively easy. The best way to arrive is to take the Valley Metro Light Rail (your Mercury ticket includes the light rail ride). Get off at Washington and 3rd if heading west; Jefferson and 3rd if heading east. The light rail also has a stop right at Sky Harbor Airport.
If driving is more your preference, the venue is close to both I-10 and I-17 (less than two miles off either interstate). Plenty of parking garages are nearby; the closest to the Center charge $20. The Jefferson Street Garage is next door, at 3rd Street & Jefferson, and costs $15.
Plenty of places are available to sit and wait for friends outside the arena's main entrance. More sports venues should do this. When entering the arena, expect x-ray machines like in the airport and metal detectors. Security is pleasant but thorough. The venue has the standard NBA bag size requirements of 14” x 14” x 6”.
The concourse was wisely widened as part of the 2020 upgrade and is comfortable to stroll. The restrooms are ample and kept clean throughout the game.
Return on Investment 3
Single-game tickets run from $23 and go up from there. A $23 ticket will end up being over $40 with the Ticketmaster fees. Use the Phoenix Mercury App to access mobile tickets; the team does not offer printed tickets.
Included in the price is a ride on the light rail. The prices are a little higher than other WNBA teams, but you don’t have to pay for parking if you ride the light rail. Otherwise, parking runs from $15 – $20.
The Mercury and sponsors offer ticket deals during the season, such as all-you-can-eat seats, student discounts, and military and first responder discounts. Fry’s (grocery store) usually offers free tickets for select games if you purchase over $50 in groceries on a specific day. Be sure to check the Mercury website for these deals.
Concession prices are higher than other WNBA venues.
Extras 3
Ease of access with light rail and partnering with Valley Metro deserves an extra mention.
Three WNBA championship banners hang from the rafters (2007, 2009, 2014), always a sign of a prosperous team. Four retired Mercury numbers hang from the rafters: 7 – Michele Timms, 13 – Penny Taylor, 22 – Jennifer Gillom, 32 – Bridge Pettis.
Footprint Center - Mercury Banners from Rafters
Final Thoughts
Attending a Mercury basketball game is an enjoyable afternoon/evening out. If you haven’t been to the arena in a while, come check out some summer hoops at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.
Comments