The PHX Arena didn’t have a watch party for the Phoenix Mercury’s X-Factor fans during the team’s miraculous Game 2 victory at the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, Sept. 23, but Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix is a sanctuary for the Mercury fan experience away from the arena.
Fans grubbed on hot wings and drank beer while tasting the palpable fear of being one game away from elimination, trailing by 20 early in the third quarter. Then the Mercury mounted the third-largest comeback victory in WNBA playoff history.
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The win evened the best-of-five series at 1, bringing the series back to Phoenix for Game 3 on Friday, Sept. 26.
“It’s nice to have a place to go and watch games,” former Mercury season ticketholder and Title 9 patron Lauren Clark said to The Arizona Republic during the first half. “It’s been a rough start to the game, but it’s a great environment to be in.”
Located on 7th Avenue in Phoenix’s LGTBQ enclave Melrose, Title 9 is a quaint diner-sized eatery with elaborate interior decor and is dedicated to women’s sports, mainly the Mercury. There’s a wall-sized photo of the Mercury’s recently retired GOAT, Diana Taurasi, jumping for a layup, and a “Play Like A Girl” pink neon sign propped up next to her image.
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There’s wallpaper in both of the restrooms with motivational quotes from women’s sports legends such as Serena Williams, Mary Lou Retton, Ronda Rousey and Abby Wambach to name a few. Plus, plenty of Mercury memorabilia, including a rainbow gay pride flag with the team’s logo that hangs at the front door.
“This is probably the main space for women’s sports in Phoenix, especially supporting the home team Mercury,” Title 9’s manager Audra Hoover said. “The place was pumping tonight, so it does great for business to have our team in the playoffs and continue winning.”
Title 9’s owner Audrey Corley led several of her customers’ rally chants and synchronized hand-claps during the second-half surge, like a general leading a brigade charge into battle.
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Corley, a Phoenix native, has her own basketball background as a former Phoenix College player from 1996-98, and coached there. She launched Title 9 Sports Grill in March 2025 amid women’s basketball reaching new heights in popularity.
“It was a need,” Corley said to The Republic. “There’s been a big need for many years. Kind of modeled it after the Sports Bra in Portland (Oregon) and I wanted to do it. It’s been a passion project of mine for years now.”
Corley added why she felt it was important to have Title 9 near its sister property, Boycott Bar, across the street.
“It’s very huge because my other bar, Boycott bar, it was huge to be close in the neighborhood and I love Melrose,” Corley said.
The loudest moments were when Satou Sabally (game-highs 24 points, five 3s) hit the Mercury’s 10th triple at 5:18 left in regulation, DeWanna Bonner’s midcourt pass interception from the Lynx’s Courtney Williams and fast-break layup, Sami Whitcomb’s game-tying 3 that forced OT to cap off a 22-9 run, and the corner 3 from Kahleah Copper that extended the Mercury’s lead to six at 1:47 left in OT.
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Corley watched intently with her arms folded, and then bent over with her hands on her knees like she was calling plays in front of the Mercury’s bench.
As the Lynx were down by four at 21 seconds left, they called timeout after two made free throws by Alyssa Thomas (19 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists). Corley added to the frenzy by yelling an incentive to keep the party going as the Mercury began to smell the victory.
“When we win, we’re going across the street to Boycott for free drinks!” Corley said.
When the Mercury milked the clock until the final buzzer, the fans at Title 9 belted out the “Mighty Mercury, we are No. 1” victory song, which echoes the X-Factor’s post-win ritual at PHX Arena less than four miles away.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Title 9 Sports Grill is Phoenix Mercury X-Factor fans’ second home
