Phoenix Mercury 2026 WNBA Season: How to Watch, Roster & More

The Phoenix Mercury are in retrograde after their best regular season since 2014.

The Mercury finished the 2025 WNBA season third with the seventh overall offense and fifth overall defense. They took down the defending champion New York Liberty in the first round and swept the number one seed Minnesota Lynx in the second round before being swept by the Las Vegas Aces in a heartbreaking WNBA Finals.

Now it is a time of reflection after this team came so close to its first championship in more than a decade. The Mercury must reassess, reconnect with their past, realign and make another run at the WNBA Finals this season.

Here, get all the information you need to keep up with the Phoenix Mercury all season long.

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Phoenix Mercury Quick Facts:

Founding Season: 1997
Conference: Western
Home Arena: Footprint Center
Championships: 3 (2007, 2009, 2014)
2025 Finish: Lost in WNBA Finals

How did the Phoenix Mercury do in 2025?

The Phoenix Mercury put together their best regular season since 2014, going 27-13 for their first winning record in four seasons. They finished seventh overall in offensive rating and fifth in defensive rating.

That was largely thanks to Alyssa Thomas. Thomas made her fourth straight All-Star team, her third straight first team All-WNBA selection and third career first team all-defensive selection. She flirted with a triple-double on the season, averaging 15.4 points, 9.2 assists (a career high) and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field (another career high).

Satou Sabally put together another All-Star caliber season, averaging 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Kahleah Cooper, after a career year in 2024, also provided key offensive contributions, averaging 15.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 37% from three.

The Phoenix’s fifth-ranked overall defense largely came together with the addition of DeWanna Bonner, whose tenure in Indiana flamed out quickly before she was reunited with her old team. Bonner averaged 10.9 points per game off the bench, shooting 32% from three with her trademark elite perimeter defense.

The Mercury surged into the postseason with the third overall seed in the WNBA. They took down the defending champion New York Liberty in three games in the opening round and swept the number one seed Minnesota Lynx in the semifinals. But then they ran into a Las Vegas Aces team that was the hottest in the WNBA and were promptly swept.

It was a major turnaround for this Phoenix Mercury team after multiple straight losing seasons. But they have little time to wallow in that sadness as 2026 will prove to be tougher with the loss of Sabally. The season will again hinge on Phoenix’s stout defense to bring them back to the postseason.

Phoenix Mercury 2026 TV Schedule

Don’t miss one second of the Phoenix Mercury 2026 WNBA season as Alyssa Thomas and company look for their third straight postseason appearance under coach Nate Tibbetts.

With DIRECTV, you don’t have to! Explore the full Mercury TV schedule below, including information on where to watch the Phoenix Mercury on TV and more.

All times ET.

No Mercury games today? Find another matchup to watch on the full WNBA schedule.

Where can I watch Phoenix Mercury games?

For those who can’t make it out to Phoenix to watch the Mercury compete in person, there are plenty of ways to catch more games on the Phoenix Mercury TV schedule on DIRECTV. Below are a few networks where you can watch games:

• ABC – Find your local ABC network
• CBS – Arizona’s Family Sports (Find your affiliate)
• ESPN – Ch. 206
• ION TV – Ch. 305
• USA Network – Ch. 242
• NBC Sports
• Prime Video
• Paramount+
• Peacock

Phoenix Mercury Roster for 2026

The Mercury largely returned the same roster that made it to the WNBA Finals a year ago. They will once again look to Alyssa Thomas to lead this squad to the postseason.

Phoenix Mercury Players to Watch

Alyssa Thomas

Thomas put together a career season. She made her fourth straight All-Star game, her third straight first team All-WNBA selection and finished top four in Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in four years. She averaged a career high in assists with 9.2 per game.

Thomas willed the Mercury to their best regular season in more than a decade and a remarkable run through the WNBA postseason. Entering 2026, even more will be asked of the dynamic forward as the Mercury lost crucial scoring on the wing and will once again turn to Thomas to be the center of their team.

Kahleah Cooper

In her second season with the Mercury, Cooper averaged 15.6 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a career high 1.1 steals per game. She shot 37% from three.

Entering 2026, much more will be called upon for the four-time All-Star. With Phoenix down scoring from a year ago, it’s all hands on deck for the major rotation players for the Mercury.

DeWanna Bonner

Bonner joined the Mercury for the last 24 games of the season after her brief tenure in Indiana flamed out. Bonner came back to be a major contributor off the bench for the Mercury and became a critical part of their rotation.

The 16-year pro averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and solidified Phoenix’s top five defense. Bonner will once again be asked to provide that same level of defense and perhaps even return to an All-Star caliber offensive player for the Mercury to make their move this season.

Phoenix Mercury Rivalries to Watch

The Phoenix Mercury have been a regular presence in the WNBA postseason for nearly 20 years and as such, have built up some rivals in their quest for conference championships, playoff rounds and ultimately WNBA championships.

They share a quasi-regional rivalry with the Los Angeles Sparks, who they frequently do battle with in key games. The Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury were exchanging WNBA titles in the 2010s. The Seattle Storm, given their franchise success, have been rivals with just about anybody who makes it to the finals. Same thing with the Chicago Sky.

Stream Phoenix Mercury Games on DIRECTV

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