Footprint Center was the name carried by downtown Phoenix’s NBA and WNBA arena from 2021 to 2025, during a naming-rights deal with materials science company Footprint. The building itself dates back much further: it opened on June 6, 1992, as America West Arena, part of a wave of new downtown arenas built to anchor major-league sports in growing Sun Belt cities.
Over more than three decades the arena has cycled through several corporate names – America West Arena, US Airways Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix Suns Arena, Footprint Center, and now Mortgage Matchup Center as of late 2025 – but its role in Phoenix has stayed constant as the home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, just a block from Chase Field.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
- Location: 201 East Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona
- Opened: June 6, 1992 (as America West Arena)
- Footprint Center era: 2021-2025
- Capacity: 17,071 (basketball)
- Current name: Mortgage Matchup Center (since 2025)
- Notable fact: Also housed the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes from 1996 to 2003
The Ride Experience
Fans inside the arena during the Footprint Center years sat close to the action in a bowl designed by Ellerbe Becket, with sightlines built for basketball first. The 1-million-square-foot venue underwent a major 2003 renovation that added a glass-enclosed atrium, and further upgrades landed in 2020 just before the Footprint naming era began, refreshing concourses, suites, and video boards for a modern in-game experience.
A Downtown Phoenix Anchor
Beyond Suns and Mercury games, the arena has hosted concerts, championship boxing, and the Arizona Rattlers arena football team over the years, drawing crowds as large as roughly 17,700 for in-the-round concert configurations. Its location a block from Chase Field made it a cornerstone of Phoenix’s downtown sports and entertainment district long before the Footprint Center name ever appeared on the building.
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Footprint Center FAQs
Is Footprint Center still the arena’s name?
No. The naming rights deal with Footprint ran from 2021 to 2025; the arena was renamed Mortgage Matchup Center in a new 10-year naming-rights partnership announced in 2025.
What teams played at Footprint Center?
The Phoenix Suns (NBA) and Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) both called it home, and it previously hosted the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) from 1996 to 2003.
When did the arena originally open?
It opened on June 6, 1992, as America West Arena, at a construction cost of about $89 million.
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Photo: Photograph: NASA / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.