Photo for Mercury Jonas Brothers story. Caption: The Phoenix Mercury’s overtime win against the Minnesota Lynx Tuesday forced a Game 4 in the WNBA semifinals, meaning the Jonas Brothers had to move their concert at PHX Arena from Sunday to Monday. (File photo by Stella Subasic/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – To the Jonas Brothers, the Phoenix Mercury say “Sorry for the miscommunication.”
As they return to PHX Arena for Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA semifinals, the team is bumping the Jonas Brothers out of their Sunday night concert spot. The group was rescheduled to Monday night at the downtown arena after the Mercury forced a pivotal Game 4 by evening the best-of-five series against the Minnesota Lynx on the road Tuesday night with an 89-83 overtime win.
“The Jonas Brothers show originally scheduled for 9/28 has been rescheduled to Monday, 9/29 at PHX Arena,” the team said in a statement. “All previously purchased tickets will be valid for the new date.”
The decision has left Jonas Brothers fans “Burnin’ Up” and wondering how they will deal with the sudden change of plans while The X-Factor sings “I Can’t Lose” for the Mercury. One of the most popular American pop rock bands of the last two decades, the Jonas Brothers 20th anniversary tour will make some stops on the West Coast before shifting to the Valley.
As a result, the Jonas Brothers show originally scheduled for 9/28 has been rescheduled to Monday, 9/29 at PHX Arena.
All previously purchased tickets will be valid for the new date. Limited tickets still available: https://t.co/2mqxmsoUNl pic.twitter.com/lOs8DfiSPz
— PHX Arena (@phx_arena) September 24, 2025
The Mercury have had issues with concerts and shows conflicting with their playoff schedules in the past, but they were the ones who were forced to pick up their gear and relocate. The team had two home playoff games moved to different locations during the 2021 season because of a Maluma concert and a Disney on Ice performance.
The first game was moved to Grand Canyon University’s arena, where the Mercury defeated the New York Liberty in a single-game elimination first round.
In the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces, the Mercury moved to Arizona State’s Desert Financial Arena due to a four-day Disney On Ice event.
Despite the challenge of moving to two different arenas in what were supposed to be home games, the Mercury beat the Aces and made it to the WNBA Finals against the Chicago Sky. The Sky eventually won the series 3-1.
Former Mercury player Brittney Griner was quoted in a 2021 article by The Next saying, “Why can we not play in our own arena? Did we think that we weren’t going to make the playoffs? Why is that concert that more important than the Phoenix Mercury playing on our home court in our arena? You know, that’s sad.”
The NBA hasn’t been immune to rescheduling bumps, either. In 2023, during the Atlanta Hawks’ playoff run, Janet Jackson was set to perform at the State Farm Arena, Atlanta’s home court, on the same date as the Hawks were scheduled to play a first round game against the Boston Celtics in Atlanta.
In that case, Janet Jackson, like the Jonas Brothers, took second billing to basketball on the busy entertainment circuit.
As the WNBA grows, its leverage to maintain its home court advantage in the face of scheduling issues shows the steps the league has taken as the sport explodes in popularity. Similar to how the NBA can postpone concerts, the WNBA has now reached a similar level of success.
The WNBA has seen an increase in viewership since its historic season last year. Games that aired on CBS, ESPN, and ABC averaged 1.28 million viewers in the 2025 season, reports Front Office Sports.
The league began expanding rapidly after a successful 2024 season, where it attracted more than 23 million unique viewers, a 133% increase from what it reached during the 2023 season.
The Mercury have had a successful season, making the playoffs as the fourth seed after finishing 27-17 in the regular season. After knocking off the defending champion Liberty in the first round, the Mercury are in a fierce matchup with the Lynx, who had the best regular-season record in the WNBA (34-10). The Mercury will look to lean on star players Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper. Game 3 is Friday night at PHX Arena.
The schedule change has sparked concern from Jonas Brothers’ fans on social media, leaving them wondering why the concert had to be rescheduled. Many are disappointed that they won’t be able to enjoy the show on Sunday night. All previously purchased tickets will be valid for Monday’s new date.
A new collective bargaining agreement is just ahead of the WNBA, with the deadline of the previous deal ending Oct. 31.
However, the negotiations between the WNBA and the players’ union seem to have screeched to a halt. Revenue sharing for players has become the main point of dispute that is holding up the negotiations.