The US Airways center is home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers, and the ECHL’s Phoenix Roadrunners. The NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes previously played here, from 1996 to 2003. Since then, the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL have made this their home. It was also the home of the indoor soccer team Arizona Sandsharks.

Its most common nickname is “The Purple Palace,” though during the Rattlers’ season it is known as “the Snake Pit.”

Capacity for basketball was originally 19,023, but was downsized in recent years to 18,422.

Three of the games of the 1993 NBA Finals between the Suns and the Chicago Bulls, including game six where John Paxson hit basketball’s version of the shot heard around the world, were played there, as was one of the three 1998 WNBA finals games and two ArenaBowl games. In 1997, the Rattlers won ArenaBowl XI at America West Arena. The NBA All-Star Game was played in the arena in 1995, and the arena has been named as the location for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.

In October 25, 1998, Celine Dion gave a Let’s Talk About Love Tour concert.

In 2003 the US Airways Center hosted WWE SummerSlam and WWE Judgment Day in 2006. In addition to sports events, many famous singers and musical acts, such as dc Talk, Shakira, Metallica, The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, REO Speedwagon, *NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, Green Day, Blink 182, Gwen Stefani, Vicente Fernandez, Maná and others have performed at the arena. Oscar de la Hoya had one of his first professional boxing bouts (versus Narciso Valenzuela) there, and Michael Carbajal also fought there various times.

On March 5, 2007, US Airways Center hosted WWE Monday Night Raw and its first return to the Phoenix area in two years. Most recently, WWE returned on July 31, 2007 for a Smackdown!/ECW television taping.