You’re missing out if you’ve been reluctant to go to a Phoenix Mercury game because someone told you the WNBA would turn you “woke.”
Mercury games are an experience unlike any other in Arizona sports.
I guess you could say there’s an X-Factor.
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“(The crowd helps) 1,000 percent,” Kahleah Copper said after scoring 28 points in an 83-79 Mercury win over the Chicago Sky on Thursday, Aug. 28, at PHX Arena.
“The X-Factor is No. 1 in the league, period,” Copper said. “I think it’s very hard to play here. I think our fans are very engaged, whether we’re doing good or not. … Down the stretch, they were extra loud, talking trash, getting with the refs, everything. Shout out to the X-Factor.”
‘These are the flowers that they deserve’
Mercury fans come 15,000 strong to PHX Arena in a mélange that includes lesbian couples, straight couples and enough little kids to fill up several playgrounds. And they’re all rooting for the home team.
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It’s a starkly different experience compared with other pro sports in Arizona.
Ever been to a Cardinals game when they play the Bears?
Yes, there are more than 60,000 people packed into State Farm Stadium, but there are so many Walter Payton and Jim McMahon jerseys, you might think you were at Soldier Field in 1985.
How about a Diamondbacks game when they play the Cubs?
There might be close to 50,000 baseball fans jammed into Chase Field, but there are so many Northsiders wearing Chicago hats that you almost expect a Harry Caray impersonator “ta” sing during “da” seventh-inning stretch.
But at a Mercury game, there are Mercury fans — even when one of the league’s biggest stars, Angel Reese, comes to town with her Chicago Sky teammates.
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“It’s a healthy basketball environment,” Reese said. “These are just straight basketball fans. You don’t hear negativity. Obviously, fans are gonna be fans as far as they want to cheer for their own team, but I feel the love here. …
“They just care straight-up about basketball. That’s what you want. You want a healthy environment, especially the players who’ve been here for a while.”
She said this type of crowd is important for veteran players, such as her Sky teammate Kia Nurse (a former Mercury guard), Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas.
“These are the flowers that they deserve,” Reese said.
‘I haven’t missed a game in like 24 years’
The W is celebrating record attendance this season, drawing more than 2.5 million fans across the league with about two more weeks to go in the regular season.
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A huge chunk of those fans are diehards, like Talli Ruksas and Hannah Dunigan.
“I’ve had season tickets since 2000,” Dunigan said on Second Street outside the arena after the game. “I haven’t missed a game in like 24 years, something like that.”
Hannah Dunigan has been a Phoenix Mercury season-ticket holder for more than 20 years. Dunigan and a fellow fan said on Aug. 28, 2025, outside PHX Arena that the connection between the X-Factor and the team creates the best homecourt advantage in the league.
Ruksas has had season tickets even longer. She started off coming to games with a friend and enjoyed it so much that it wasn’t long before she decided, “I need my own ticket. In ’98, I got my own season ticket.”
The bond between the Mercury and the X-Factor isn’t going to break any time soon.
“I was worried,” Ruksas said, “because after so many years, I mean Diana (Taurasi) being here 20 years and getting so attached to Brittney (Griner) and a couple of the other players that they traded, I thought, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that emotional attachment,’ but I have. I love this new team, too. I love ’em all.”
Talli Ruksas has been a Phoenix Mercury season-ticket holder for more than 20 years. Ruksas and a fellow fan said on Aug. 28, 2025, outside PHX Arena that the connection between the X-Factor and the team creates the best homecourt advantage in the league.
It’s the same for Dunigan, although she has a soft spot for the team’s MVP candidate.
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“I love Alyssa Thomas,” Dunigan said. “She’s the triple-double queen. I’m so glad we got her.”
Thomas had 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Chicago.
They speak for a lot of Mercury fans when they describe the Phoenix fan experience.
“We’ve been to a few games in other cities,” Ruksas said. “I think our fans are different.”
Dunigan completed the thought, “We are the loudest and the most loyal.”
‘They need me, too’
At a Mercury game, there are a bunch of fun call-and-response chats that keep fans engaged.
PA system: “Mighty Mercury!”
X-Factor: “MIGHTY MERCURY!”
And when a Mercury player steps to the free-throw line?
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PA announcer: “Alyssa Thomas, shooting two.”
X-Factor: “MAKING TWO!”
But when an opponent steps to the line?
PA announcer: Angel Reese, shooting two.
X-Factor: “MISSING TWO!”
Then, whenever Natasha Mack scores, a massive “Honk! Honk!” blares through the arena and fans make the universal arm signal to get an 18-wheeler to blast its horn. (Get it? Mack. Truck. See what they did there? Whoever came up with that deserves a job or a raise.)
“She notices,” Copper said after the game, sitting next to Mack, who just smiled and shook her head.
“She don’t miss it,” Copper said.
Did I mention that the fans get on their feet before tipoff and don’t sit down until the Mercury score?
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Bottom line, the Mercury don’t have to fight for fans with teams visiting from out of town, and it makes for an atmosphere that’s unique in Arizona professional sports.
You know what else feels unique? The way the players acknowledge the fans.
“It means a lot,” Dunigan said. “It means we’re appreciated.”
The X-Factor is part of the action. “I was having a really bad day today,” Ruksas said. “I really wanted to go back to bed, but it’s like, ‘I gotta be here for my Mercury.’ They need me, too.”
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mercury are the most beloved team in Arizona pro sports
