Mercury Beat Fever, Move Into Tie for Second

The Mercury picked up a gritty win against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night, moving them into a three-way tie for second in the WNBA standings.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) celebrates after a basket with Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) against the Indiana Fever during the second quarter at PHX Arena on Sept. 2, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury are now in a three-way tie for second place in the WNBA standings after beating the Indiana Fever 85-79 on Tuesday night (the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces both hold tiebreakers over the Mercury though).

Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts yells out to his team from the sidelines as they play the New York Liberty at PHX Arena on Aug 30, 2025, in Phoenix. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Alyssa Thomas nearly racked up yet another triple-double, recording a team-high 23 points, along with nine boards and nine assists in the win. It was a balanced effort on offense for the Mercury, who are now 13-0 when five players score in double figures. The Fever were without Caitlin Clark, who is still working her way back from injury.

Kelsey MItchell was red hot and led Indiana with 29 points on 5-for-9 shooting from deep but, aside from Lexie Hull, most of the Fever supporting cast struggled from the field. Phoenix got key contributions off the bench from DeWanna Bonner and Sami Whitcomb, who had 19 and 10 points, respectively. Whitcomb also added a season-high seven assists.

Phoenix Mercury forward Kathryn Westbeld (24) drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) during the second quarter at PHX Arena on Sept. 2, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1st quarter

Mitchell was aggressive right out the gate, scoring 15 of the Fever's 23 first quarter points, on nearly flawless 5-for-6 shooting (3-for-4 from three).

The Mercury struggled to get stops early in the quarter, but they seized control on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a transition pocket pass from Whitcomb to Thomas for an easy two.

Indy had been scoreless for two minutes when Hull knocked down a tough fadeaway over Satou Sabally, but Kahleah Copper answered right away with an and-one off an out-of-bounds play.

The Fever had a brief lead, but a deep three from Whitcomb off a screen put the Mercury up 25-23 going into the second quarter. It was Whitcomb's 500th made three of her career. Copper led all Phoenix scorers with nine points on just five shots.

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) battle for a loose ball during the third quarter at PHX Arena on Sept. 2, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2nd quarter

The Mercury blew the game open in the second. They stepped up on the defensive end, holding the Fever to just six made field goals on 18 attempts while shooting 11-for-18 themselves.

A Whitcomb steal and a hustle play to save a ball from going out of bounds by Natasha Mack led to a Sabally three, then Whitcomb and Thomas took turns assisting each other to give Phoenix their first double-digit lead of the night.

A give-and-go between Sabally and AT, and a Monique Akoa Makani three set up by Sabally capped off a 10-0 Phoenix run to end the quarter. Phoenix headed into the break up 54-39.

The Mercury shot a sizzling 60% from the field in the first half, and had assisted on 19 of their 21 made shots. Thomas led the team with 14 points, while Bonner already had 11 off the bench.

Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) celebrates after a basket against the Indiana Fever during the second quarter at PHX Arena on Sept. 2, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3rd quarter

Phoenix's offense stalled a bit in the third, as they put up just 13 points and couldn't consistently find their rhythm. The Fever clawed their way back into the game, using their physicality down low to jump-start their offense.

Indiana had six offensive boards in the third quarter alone, and Mitchell kept her hot streak going, adding seven more points in the quarter. Aliyah Boston was a handful in the paint and started to get her game going as well.

Aug 28, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts reacts against the Chicago Sky at Phx Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At one point, Copper appeared shaken up and had a noticeable limp, but stayed in the game.

Indiana put up 6-0 and 7-0 runs in the third, but Phoenix did enough to regain control each time and held onto a 67-57 lead going into the fourth.

Sep 2, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Odyssey Sims (1) drives on Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) in the second half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

4th quarter

The Mercury's struggles from the field continued in the fourth, but they were able to keep Indiana at arm's length by earning 14 free throw attempts and knocking down 12 of them.

Though the Fever outscored them 22-18 in the fourth, and Phoenix made just one shot from the field in the first six minutes of the quarter, the Mercury never let them get too close for comfort. A quick 9-2 run led by Bonner and AT put them up by 10 with just two minutes remaining. The Fever refused to go away, but the Mercury held on and picked up a six-point win.

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts watches his team play against the Indiana Fever during the first quarter at PHX Arena on Sept. 2, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We're playing our basketball," said Thomas after the game. "We didn't do it for 40 minutes but we had good stretches. When we share the ball...that's what makes us special. That's what makes us dangerous."

The Mercury will now head into the final four games of the season with a real chance at claiming second place before the playoffs start. Their next game is on Thursday, on the road against the Washington Mystics.

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