Phoenix Mercury release 32-game schedule for 2021 WNBA season

MERCURY BASKETBALL IS BACK.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! 📅 pic.twitter.com/BoheUZwKdD

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) April 13, 2021

The Phoenix Mercury announced their full 2021 WNBA season schedule on Tuesday.

The team is set to play 32 games in 128 days from May 14 to Sept. 19, with a 34-day break from July 11 to Aug. 14 for the Summer Olympics.

Mercury legend Diana Taurasi and guard Skylar Diggins-Smith are prepping to make the trip to Tokyo after both were at Team USA’s training camp in San Antonio earlier this month.

While center Brittney Griner wasn’t among the 16 players invited, she remains on the 32-woman list of eligible players to represent her country this summer.

Phoenix will begin the season on a three-game road trip against the Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics.

The Mercury then return to the Valley for their home opener against the Sun on May 21 at Phoenix Suns Arena.

The team also intends on hosting fans at all home games, according to a press release, which will “mimic” the Phoenix Suns’ current plan of allowing “approximately 5,000 distanced, masked patrons at NBA games.”

“Our fans have not been able to see their team in person since September 2019, more than 19 months ago,” Mercury chief operating officer Vince Kozar said in the release.

“Following the direction of health and wellness experts from the state, county and NBA/WNBA, and following the lead of the Suns who have been safely hosting fans since February, we are excited to welcome the X-Factor to our transformed home in downtown Phoenix. We will host all of our PayPal X-Factor season ticket members and all remaining ticket inventory will go on sale on a per-game basis in the coming weeks.”

However, an exact date for single-game ticket sales is still to be determined.

The 2021 WNBA season marks the 25th campaign for both the league and Mercury:

MAY

May 14 at Minnesota Lynx

May 16 at Connecticut Sun

May 18 at Washington Mystics

May 21 vs. Connecticut Sun

May 26 vs. Las Vegas Aces

May 29 at Dallas Wings

JUNE

June 1 at Chicago Sky

June 3 vs. Chicago Sky

June 9 vs. Dallas Wings

June 11 vs. Dallas Wings

June 13 vs. New York Liberty

June 16 at Los Angeles Sparks

June 18 at Los Angeles Sparks

June 26 vs. Los Angeles Sparks

June 30 vs. Minnesota Lynx

JULY

July 2 vs. Minnesota Lynx

July 7 at Las Vegas Aces

July 9 vs. Seattle Storm

July 11 at Seattle Storm

AUGUST

Aug. 15 vs. Atlanta Dream

Aug. 17 vs. Indiana Fever

Aug. 19 vs. Washington Mystics

Aug. 21 at Atlanta Dream

Aug. 25 at New York Liberty

Aug. 27 at New York Liberty

Aug. 31 vs. Chicago Sky

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 4 at Indiana Fever

Sept. 6 at Indiana Fever

Sept. 8 at Atlanta Dream

Sept. 11 vs. Connecticut Sun

Sept. 17 at Seattle Storm

Sept. 19 vs. Las Vegas Aces

Follow @jwa1994