It was a night of milestones, streaks, and a bit of heartbreak in Phoenix as the Mercury soared past the Indiana Fever 95-60 on Thursday, August 7, 2025, marking another memorable chapter in this WNBA season. For the Mercury, Alyssa Thomas delivered a historic performance, notching her third consecutive triple-double—a league first—and DeWanna Bonner torched her former team for a season-high 23 points. The Fever, meanwhile, found themselves in the throes of a two-game skid, their five-game win streak now a distant memory, and missing their star guard Caitlin Clark for the ninth straight contest.
Let’s set the stage: The Mercury (now 19-11) entered the game riding a two-game win streak, hungry for more. The Fever (17-14), fresh off five straight victories just a week ago, were hoping to regain their momentum despite a thinning roster and mounting injuries. The game tipped off in Phoenix’s buzzing arena, and from the get-go, it was clear the Mercury had come to play.
From the opening quarter, Phoenix asserted its dominance, outscoring Indiana 26-16. The Fever tried to keep pace, but the Mercury’s balanced attack and relentless defense made it tough. By halftime, the Mercury had built a 47-36 lead, with Bonner and Thomas already making their presence felt on both ends of the court.
Sophie Cunningham, returning to Phoenix and facing her former teammates, did her best to keep Indiana in the game. Cunningham led the Fever with 18 points, shooting an impressive 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Her hot hand, especially early in the third quarter, gave the Fever a glimmer of hope. As the second half began, Cunningham drained back-to-back three-pointers, trimming Phoenix’s lead to 53-44 and injecting some life into the Indiana bench.
But just as the Fever began to build momentum, the Mercury slammed the door shut. Phoenix responded with a blistering 14-0 run, capped by a Sami Whitcomb three-pointer that ballooned the lead to 23 points with 2:39 remaining in the third quarter. Indiana’s offense froze, going more than four minutes without a single point and managing just 11 in the entire quarter. The Mercury’s defense, anchored by Thomas and Satou Sabally, stifled every Fever attempt to claw back.
Thomas’s night was nothing short of sensational. With 3:47 left in the game, she secured her 19th career triple-double—18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists—by finding Bonner in the corner for a three-pointer. According to the Associated Press, "Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to become the first WNBA player with three straight triple-doubles." Over her last three games, Thomas has tallied an eye-popping 41 points, 33 rebounds, and 32 assists—numbers that would make any basketball fan do a double-take.
Bonner, who was released by the Fever earlier this season at her request, showed no mercy to her former squad. She poured in a game-high 23 points, hitting 7-of-16 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. After the game, Bonner’s energy was palpable as she celebrated with her Mercury teammates, her performance a statement against the club that let her walk just months earlier.
Satou Sabally added 15 points and eight rebounds for Phoenix, while Kahleah Copper contributed 11 points and six boards. Sami Whitcomb’s sharpshooting off the bench—especially her third-quarter dagger—helped the Mercury maintain their stranglehold on the game. The Mercury finished with 10 made three-pointers and a dominant 44-32 rebounding edge, underscoring their control on both ends of the floor.
For Indiana, the night was a struggle beyond Cunningham’s heroics. Kelsey Mitchell chipped in 12 points but shot just 3-of-16 from the field. Aliyah Boston managed only four points but did grab nine rebounds and dish out three assists. The Fever as a team shot a paltry 34% from the floor and just 23% from three-point range, unable to find any rhythm outside of Cunningham’s hot streak.
Adding to the Fever’s woes, backup point guard Sydney Colson suffered a non-contact left leg injury just one minute into her appearance, forcing her to leave the game early. The team’s depth was already stretched thin, and the loss of Colson only compounded their problems. Caitlin Clark, the highly touted rookie and face of the franchise, missed her ninth consecutive game with a right groin strain—a lingering injury that has cast a shadow over Indiana’s playoff hopes.
After the game, the Fever’s locker room was understandably somber. The team’s record now stands at 17-14, and while they remain in the playoff hunt, the recent slump and Clark’s continued absence have raised concerns about their ability to regain their early-season form. Head coach Christie Sides, though not quoted directly, has consistently preached resilience and the need for players to step up in Clark’s absence.
On the Mercury’s side, the mood was jubilant. With this win, Phoenix notched its third straight victory, improving to 19-11 and tightening their grip on a top playoff seed. Alyssa Thomas’s historic run has electrified the fan base and brought national attention to the Mercury’s late-season surge. As Thomas herself continues to rewrite the WNBA record books, her teammates are rising to the occasion, making Phoenix a legitimate threat as the postseason approaches.
The season series between these two teams is now tied at 1-1. The rubber match is set for September 2 in Phoenix—a date that both squads will surely have circled on their calendars. Will Clark be back by then? Can Indiana reverse its fortunes, or will the Mercury’s momentum carry them to another win?
For now, the Mercury are flying high on the back of Alyssa Thomas’s unprecedented triple-double streak and Bonner’s scoring outburst. The Fever, meanwhile, are left searching for answers, hoping for healthier days ahead and the return of their star rookie. With the playoff race heating up and history being made, the WNBA’s summer just keeps getting hotter.
As the dust settles in Phoenix, all eyes turn to the next chapter—because if this game was any indication, the road to the playoffs will be anything but predictable.
