MERCURY ANNOUNCES 2012 SCHEDULE
Season opens May 20 at Minnesota; home opener slated for Saturday, May 26 vs. Los Angeles
PHOENIX – The WNBA today announced the Phoenix Mercury’s full 34-game schedule for the 2012 season, which runs from May 20 - Sept. 23, including a month-long Olympic hiatus from July 14 - Aug. 15. The Mercury tips off the WNBA season facing the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, May 20 at 9:30 a.m. PT on ABC, making it the second consecutive year Phoenix will face the defending champions in its season opener.
The Mercury’s home opener is on Saturday, May 26 at 7 p.m. against Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks, who own the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. It’s the first of 13 Friday, Saturday or Sunday home games for the Mercury.
The Mercury will make three appearances on ABC and ESPN2, starting with the season opener at Minnesota and concluding with the regular season finale on Sept. 23 vs. Seattle at noon PT on ESPN2. Phoenix hosts Los Angeles on Saturday, June 23 at 5 p.m. PT, which will air on ESPN2. The national broadcast schedule is subject to change.
US Airways Center will also twice play host to the defending champion Lynx (June 15 and Sept. 21) and Western Conference rival Seattle Storm (July 13 and Sept. 23). Cappie Pondexter and the New York Liberty visit Phoenix on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. and 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever come to the Valley on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.
The Mercury opens the season with a pair of road games for the second straight season and plays four of its first five contests away from Phoenix, including a road back-to-back set at defending Eastern Conference champion Atlanta on May 31 and at San Antonio June 1. The schedule features just one other back-to-back coming July 7 at home against Atlanta and July 8 at Seattle.
The remaining road slate is highlighted by a season-high four-game road trip June 27 - July 3 beginning in Minnesota and ending in San Antonio, with the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics rounding out the trip. Phoenix also makes a three-game East coast swing from Sept. 5 - 9 at New York, Connecticut and Indiana.
The Western Conference slate features five meetings with Seattle, three at Key Arena where the Mercury upset the Storm in Game 3 of the 2011 Western Conference Semifinals, and five meetings with Los Angeles, three of which come at US Airways Center, including the Mercury’s annual matinee contest on July 10 at 12:30 p.m.
A complete 2012 Phoenix Mercury schedule is attached and can also be found at phoenixmercury.com. A full broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.
Flexible ticket packages for the 2012 season are available by calling 602-252-WNBA or visiting phoenixmercury.com
May |
|||
| Sun. | 20 | @ Minnesota | 9:30 a.m. |
| Tue. | 22 | @ Tulsa | 5 p.m. |
| Sat. | 26 | LOS ANGELES | 7 p.m. |
| Thu. | 31 | @ Atlanta | 4 p.m. |
| June | |||
| Fri. | 1 | @ San Antonio | 5 p.m. |
| Sun. | 3 | TULSA | 3 p.m. |
| Fri. | 8 | @ Los Angeles | 8 p.m. |
| Fri. | 15 | MINNESOTA | 7 p.m. |
| Sun. | 17 | @ Tulsa | 1 p.m. |
| Wed. | 20 | WASHINGTON | 7 p.m. |
| Sat. | 23 | LOS ANGELES | 5 p.m. |
| Wed. | 27 | @ Minnesota | 5 p.m. |
| Fri. | 29 | @ Chicago | 5:30 p.m. |
| July | |||
| Sun. | 1 | @ Washington | 1 p.m. |
| Tue. | 3 | @ San Antonio | 5 p.m. |
| Sat. | 7 | ATLANTA | 7 p.m. |
| Sun. | 8 | @ Seattle | 6 p.m. |
| Tue. | 10 | LOS ANGELES | 12:30 p.m. |
| Fri. | 13 | SEATTLE | 7 p.m. |
| August | |||
| Thu. | 16 | @ Seattle | 7 p.m. |
| Sun. | 19 | SAN ANTONIO | 3 p.m. |
| Thu. | 23 | NEW YORK | 7 p.m. |
| Sat. | 25 | INDIANA | 7 p.m. |
| Thu. | 30 | @ Seattle | 7 p.m. |
| September | |||
| Sat. | 1 | SAN ANTONIO | 7 p.m. |
| Wed. | 5 | @ New York | 4 p.m. |
| Fri. | 7 | @ Connecticut | 4 p.m. |
| Sun. | 9 | @ Indiana | 3 p.m. |
| Wed. | 12 | CONNECTICUT | 7 p.m. |
| Fri. | 14 | TULSA | 7 p.m. |
| Sun. | 16 | CHICAGO | 3 p.m. |
| Tue. | 18 | @ Los Angeles | 7:30 p.m. |
| Fri. | 21 | MINNESOTA | 7 p.m. |
| Sun. | 23 | SEATTLE | 12 p.m. |
