The Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Square played the first WNBA game in South Dakota on April 25, 2026, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The game marked a historic milestone as the first-ever WNBA contest held in the state. The Sanford Pentagon, with a capacity of 3,250, hosted the preseason matchup, which sold out within seven minutes of tickets going on sale. Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts, a native of the Sioux Falls area, returned home for the game. Tibbetts attended Jefferson High School before transferring to a school in Sioux Falls as a junior. He played college basketball at the University of South Dakota and later coached at the University of Sioux Falls and the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. His father, Fred Tibbetts, was a celebrated high school girls’ basketball coach in South Dakota for over 30 years, amassing more than 500 wins, including a 111-game winning streak and seven undefeated championship seasons, before passing away in 2008. Assistant coach Megan Vogel also has local ties, having played collegiately at South Dakota State, where she finished her career second on the program’s all-time scoring list. As part of the visit, the Mercury hosted a youth basketball clinic on April 24 at the Sanford Pentagon for girls in grades 3–8, led by players and coaches in partnership with the Sanford Sports Academy. The clinic filled to its 150-participant limit and registration closed. The game’s rapid sellout led to high demand on resale markets, with tickets listed on StubHub reaching up to $3,454, while the lowest available resale price was $237 as of the evening before the game. The event underscored efforts to expand the WNBA’s reach into new markets and connect with regional basketball communities.
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