The Phoenix Mercury went on a fairytale finals run after a four-year absence. A new experienced cast led by Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and Satou Sabally reignited the spirit in the Mercury after two first-round exits and a year of not qualifying for the playoffs altogether. The legacy franchise, graced by legends like Diana Taurasi, DeWanna Bonner, and Brittney Griner, decided to rebrand ahead of its 30th season. It has not been received well by the fans, especially their recent promotion tactic post-change.

“Being sort of a legacy brand was instructive to the process of us developing a rebrand,” team president Vince Kozar said. “We didn’t want a huge departure; we wanted fans to be able to see the old mark in the new marks. We wanted a modernization and evolution — not a wholesale rebrand.”

According to Kozar, the new logo required two years of work, and they went through “literally dozens” of designs before they found the right one. The primary logo now features the “M,” positioned at an angle of 19.97 degrees, a reference to the inaugural season. The crescent shape references the shadowed side of planet Mercury and introduces a prominent splash of purple. 

The sharp right corner of the “M” serves as a nod to the original geometric rings. Celebrating this change, the Mercury made an offer. “How hardcore is your fandom? Prove it. We’re giving the first 100 people free Mercury tattoos on us!” Announced the franchise. Within 90 minutes, the team announced that this offer was full. 

“The love is real — We reached 100 sign-ups in 90 minutes! The free option is now SOLD OUT, but fans can still book appointments (prices will vary based on size and color),” wrote the franchise. However, this immediate sell-out left fans in shock as they have mocked the franchise’s branding efforts. 

Phoenix Mercury Faces Backlash After Tattoo Offer

Few fans have initially liked the new logo.  “This logo looks like something you’d use for a knockoff candy brand in a TV show,” commented a fan. In other words, it is a more corporate logo, which results in the sports team losing personality. It’s also losing the nostalgia quotient in the old logo. Phoenix was one of the last original franchises still using its original core logo, and changing it has had some initial blowback. It could age better with time, but this tattoo proposal of a “worse logo” has had even more criticism. 

To be fair to the Mercury management, this idea of offering free tattoos is not completely unprecedented. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship in 2016. A tattoo parlor in the Cleveland area rewarded fans with an offer of free Cavs tattoos to celebrate. In 2023, the NHL franchise Vegas Golden Knights partnered with a local tattoo shop during the Stanley Cup playoffs to offer similar tattoos during games.

Notice the difference, in the case of Cavs, it was a parlor offering tattoos after a championship, while Vegas offered it during games. Mercury released the offer during the offseason after losing the WNBA Finals 3-0 in a rebrand that most fans have not liked. They did collaborate with a local tattoo parlor, however. 

“who is doing this 😭😭😭?” asked another fan. Well, everyone likes a good deal. The Phoenix Mercury had a pretty successful 2025 season, getting newer fans. The recent boom of the entire league has also provided a launchpad for franchises like Mercury for a rebrand. The 100 fans loved the idea of having Mercury’s new logo permanently on their body. Not everyone can imagine doing the same. 

“Nobody smart is doing this omfg,” wrote another fan in the same breath.  The Mercury’s campaign literally challenged fans to “prove” their fandom by getting a permanent tattoo of the new logo, limited to the first 100 people. Now, not all fans believe a tattoo is the only way to profess your fandom. 

“That’s 100 people who shouldn’t vote 🤣🤫,” joked another fan. The campaign effectively gamified fandom. It pushed the loudest supporters toward a permanent decision around a logo many others don’t yet like. The same free-ink idea lands very differently when it celebrates a long-awaited title. Or a city in full playoff swing than when it asks fans to validate an unpopular new logo weeks after a sweep.