The Phoenix Mercury didn’t just beat the Indiana Fever on Wednesday. They beat them at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 111-109, and they did it two days after losing a chippy, technical-foul-heavy game in the same building. That matters.
Tuesday’s loss included a lot of noise — technicals on DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and an ejection for Myisha Hines-Allen. Wednesday’s rematch was calmer, but only on the surface. The Fever lost Caitlin Clark in the third quarter to a back injury, and Phoenix took advantage, sealing the win in crunch time.
Bonner on the bounce-back
Bonner told USA Sports after the game that this team has been dealing with adversity all season. Sami Whitcomb went down with a knee injury. Natasha Mack missed Wednesday’s game with a foot injury. That pushed Bonner into the starting lineup, and the 38-year-old veteran put up 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
“We’ve been doing it all year. We kind of started with injuries when Sami went down. Just trying to figure it out, I think that’s just the game of basketball. Unfortunately, we’ve had bad luck with injuries, but everybody knows you have to step up,” Bonner said.
The Mercury are 6-13. That’s not good. But they’ve won two of their last three, and Bonner said beating the Fever feels like more than just another win.
“It just builds confidence. It shows our character. We stick together no matter what. It has taken a minute to find our groove, but this was a huge help and a huge win for us,” she added.
Bonner spent a brief stint with the Fever last season before returning to Phoenix. So yeah, there was probably a little extra feeling there.
Copper carried the load
Kahleah Copper was the star of the night — 28 points and three rebounds, and she shot 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. Alyssa Thomas added 24 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. That’s a lot of production from two players when the team is already shorthanded.
The Fever hung around even without Clark, but Phoenix executed down the stretch. They’re still figuring out rotations and rhythm, but Bonner thinks this is a step in the right direction.
The Mercury are back at it Saturday against the Toronto Tempo. No word yet on whether Mack or Whitcomb will be available.
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