News and Notes As Phoenix Preps for the Women’s Final Four

Last week, Arizona officially went on the clock. 

See more

Phoenix is on the clock! 🏀🌵⏰

With the unveiling of the official 2026 @WFinalFour Countdown Clock at @PHXSkyHarbor, we are now 2️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ days away from tip-off in the Valley of the Sun. pic.twitter.com/R6ceD5YXGC

— AZ Major Events Host Committee (@azmajorevents) August 19, 2025

The Arizona Major Events Host Committee unveiled the countdown clock for the 2026 Women’s Final Four at Sky Harbor Airport with many representatives from the City of Phoenix, NCAA and Arizona State among the attendees. 

Jeff Metcalfe and Eliav Gabay recapped the day beautifully last week, and I had a few conversations with those closest to the planning process about the big day.

Arizona on the Big Stage for the Women’s Final Four

Arizona is no stranger to hosting big events, whether it’s Super Bowls, notable College Football Playoff matchups or Men’s Final Fours in recent years.

Now, the state gets to show that same hospitality to the Women’s Final Four.

While the clock is officially ticking publicly, those behind the scenes have been at work for quite some time.

“We’ve been on the clock for at least a year now,” Arizona Major Events Committee President & CEO Jay Parry said.

This event helps once again put Arizona at center stage – well, center court – of the basketball world.

With the Mercury & Suns as constant points of discussion in the pro leagues, the state also features four Division I programs within its borders, and the prep ranks have produced some big-time players at the next level.

“When we received the bid back in 2020, I think there was a vision that Arizona really is a basketball community,” Parry said. 

“That plus our Southwestern hospitality, our culture. We are a really inclusive and diverse community and we get to showcase that in the Women’s Final Four and this commitment we have to girls and women in our state.” 

Arizona State Looking to “Pull Their Weight” As Host School

Arizona State will have a big role in the Women’s Final Four as the event’s host institution.

“We’ve got to pull our weight and be a great teammate for all the people working hard on our behalf,” ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said.

It’s a position the Devils have been in before with two Men’s Final Fours coming through town in the last decade, and they are ready to take on the work for a Women’s Final Four this spring. 

“Women’s sports is on such a phenomenal trajectory,” ASU women’s basketball coach Molly Miller said. “It’s been really fun to be a part of that, ingrained in that atmosphere. Now the Final Four comes here, that’s the cherry on top of what we’ve been building.”

See more

The countdown starts now 🏜️@MollyMiller33 joined other members of the Valley at Phoenix Sky Harbor today to help unveil the countdown clock for the 2026 Women’s Final Four!#ForksUp /// #WFinalFour pic.twitter.com/y420NGJeM1

— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) August 20, 2025

Rossini has an interesting point of view for these events. Through his work with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he had a key role earning bids and playing host for the MLB 2011 All-Star Game and 2013 World Baseball Classic. 

It doesn’t take just one organization to bring in and pull off a big-time event like this, and Rossini is seeing a buy-in from the necessary parties.

“It is a really well coordinated effort when you talk about the state officials that plug in, the city of Phoenix, the airports, streets and transportation, the convention center, us as a university,” Rossini said. 

“It’s amazing when you get to that weekend, you blink and it will be behind us. But the years of work that go into hosting a major event like the women’s Final Four, you can’t understate the coordination and collaboration that is necessary for that.”

Leaving A Legacy 

There’s plenty of community events in the lead-up to Final Four weekend, but an emphasis for those who bring the event to Phoenix is to leave a lasting legacy after the dust has settled.

There will be physical reminders within the community, including a public court built leading up to the game. But this is also an opportunity for young players to see the peak of women’s college basketball in their own backyard. 

That’s something NCAA Vice President for Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman holds near and dear to her heart. While watching members of the Junior Mercury youth league at the countdown event, Holzman told league organizers how she did not have these opportunities growing up. 

But that’s not the case anymore. Women’s sports’ increased exposure in the last decade has helped reach new audiences. For Holzman, the mantra of “if you see her, you can be her” has never been more evident.

“That’s one of the things that inspires me. It gives me chills learning from my own experience,” Holzman said.

“That is one of the most important things we do in sports. Not just the participants, but what we continue to do as leaders to give back to make sure those opportunities continue to be there.”

 

The 2026 Women’s Final Four will be at PHX Arena on April 3 & 5. There will be plenty of public and free events leading up to the game to look out for.