Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Ten-time All-Star Diana Taurasi is back for her 18th WNBA season with the Mercury.
The Phoenix Mercury, fresh off a run to last year’s WNBA Finals, kick off the 2022 season with a rematch of the 2021 semifinal round series against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
The game (10 p.m. ET start time) will be televised nationally on NBA TV. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Aces vs Mercury online:
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Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch a live stream of NBA TV via Prime Channels. You can try both Amazon Prime and the NBA TV Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime NBA TV Channel, you can watch the Aces vs Mercury live on the Amazon Video app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, various smart TV’s, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via the Amazon website.
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of NBA TV and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need the main channel package and the “Sports Plus” add-on, both of which can be included in your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Aces vs Mercury live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most games on-demand within three days of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” NBA TV is included in “Choice” and above, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Aces vs Mercury live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of NBA TV and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” plus “Sports Extra” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but you can get $10 off your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Aces vs Mercury live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Aces vs Mercury Preview
The Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces get their 2022 WNBA campaigns underway on Friday night when the Western Conference foes face off at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Phoenix and Las Vegas met in last season’s semifinal round, where the Mercury outlasted the Aces in a best-of-five series, 3-2, en route to a WNBA Finals appearance.
The Mercury finished fourth in the Western Conference regular-season standings last season with a 19-13 record and went on to win two single-elimination games against the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm prior to defeating the Aces in the semifinals. Phoenix was hampered by injuries after their long postseason run and ultimately fell to the Chicago Sky, 3-1, in the Finals.
The Mercury’s offseason has been a rollercoaster that included changing head coaches, a slew of moves that revamped the roster, and their best player being detained in a foreign country.
Seven-time All-Star and two-time WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia earlier this year for allegedly having hashish oil in her luggage and has been detained for two months, while the U.S. government works on her release. The hole left by Griner’s absence will be a significant one to fill to begin the season for the Mercury. The 31-year-old center led the team last season with 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Joining the Mercury this season will be 2021 WNBA scoring champion Tina Charles and All-Star Diamond DeShields. Prior to signing with the Mercury in the offseason, Charles led the league in scoring last year at 23.4 points per game with the Washington Mystics. DeShields averaged 11.3 points per game for the champion Chicago Sky last season before being traded to the Mercury this past February in a three-team deal.
Ten-time All-Star and two-time WNBA Finals MVP Diana Taurasi is returning for her 18th season with the Mercury after averaging 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game in 2021.
“I debate every day whether I’m going to come back and I keep coming back,” Taurasi said during this season’s training camp. “I still have this competitive fire. I still love to play basketball, I still love going to the gym.”
The Mercury will be led this season by first-year head coach Vanessa Nygaard. The former WNBA player and U.S. Olympic Team assistant coach will be taking over for Sandy Brondello, who led the Mercury to a championship in 2014, along with seven straight playoff appearances.
The Aces are coming off a 2021 campaign in which they were dominant in the regular season, finishing atop the Western Conference with a 24-8 record. They will be looking to get back to the postseason this year and avenge last season’s disappointing result.
Like the Mercury, the Aces made a change in head coaches, bringing in Becky Hammon to replace Bill Laimbeer. Hammon, who served as an assistant coach in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs since 2014, will be inheriting a team that led the league in offensive rating last season.
Leading the way for the Aces is three-time All-Star and one-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. The 2018 No. 1 draft pick led the team in scoring and rebounding last season with 18.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
The Aces attempted 23 three-point shots during their lone preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx, which tied a single-game record for the franchise. Hammon expects the three-point shot to be a big part of the offense this season for the Aces.
“It’s an emphasis for us. We shoot a lot of threes every day, and everybody has the green light,” said the Aces’ first-year head coach.