Aari McDonald and the Indiana Fever rallied after a slow start to beat the Phoenix Mercury 107-101 on Wednesday night.
McDonald had a career-high 27 points in the victory, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from the 3-point line. She was also a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line.
She brought a different mentality into the game that helped keep Indiana competitive in the first half.
‘It was all about confidence,’ McDonald said during her postgame interview on the ESPN broadcast. ‘I didn’t like the way I had been playing recently. … Tonight I was just in an attack mentality.’
Aliyah Boston contributed to the win with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
With the victory, the Fever have now won three straight games and improved to 15-12 overall. The Mercury fell to 16-10 on the season.
Alyssa Thomas produced a monster double-double for the Mercury with a game-high 32 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.
Here is how things played out between the Mercury and Fever on Wednesday:
Fever vs Mercury final score
The Fever bounced back after a slow start to beat the Mercury 107-101.
Alyssa Thomas scored a game-high 32 points and had 15 rebounds for the Mercury in the loss. Kahleah Copper added 22 points while Sami Whitcomb had 18 points and three assists off the bench.
Fever vs Mercury score: End of Q3
The Fever managed to hold a two-point lead after three quarters of play.
Aari McDonald has a game-high 23 points and three assists for Indiana. Damiris Dantas has produced 12 points and three rebounds off the bench. Aylssa Thomas has a team-high 20 points along with eight rebounds and six assists for the Mercury. Kahleah Copper has 17 points.
Fever vs Mercury score: End of Q2
The Fever battled back in the second quarter to take a 55-50 lead against the Mercury.
Indiana outscored Phoenix 35-20 to overcome a 10-point deficit at the end first quarter and take the lead into the locker room at halftime.
Aari McDonald had 17 points and two assists for the Fever. Sydney Colson and Kelsey Mitchell each had eight points.
Alyssa Thomas had 14 points and six rebounds for the Mercury. Kaleah Copper added 12 points.
Fever vs Mercury score: End of Q1
The Mercury finished out the first quarter with a 30-20 lead against the Fever.
Alyssa Thomas had eight points, four rebounds and two assists for the Mercury. Satou Sabally added six points and three rebounds.
Aari McDonald had a team-high five points and an assist for the Fever in the opening quarter.
What jerseys are the Indiana Fever wearing?
The Indiana Fever are wearing its ‘Strange Things’ themed jerseys on Wednesday.
The team has worn the jersey for back-to-back games.
The Fever brought back the jerseys as part of its collaboration with Netflix, which initially began with the debut of the jerseys in 2021.
‘Stranger Things’ is a popular series that’s exclusive to the streaming platform. The show, set in a fictional town in Indiana, will enter its fifth and final season later this year.
Fever’s starting lineup vs. Mercury
Aari McDonald, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston make up the Fever’s starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Mercury.
Mercury’s starting lineup vs. Fever
Monique Akoa Makani, Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Natasha Mack and Kahleah Copper will start for the Mercury in tonight’s road game against the Fever.
Will Caitlin Clark play against Mercury?
Caitlin Clark was officially ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury.
It will be her fifth consecutive game missed due to a right groin injury. The second-year player sought another opinion from doctors and was said to have ‘no additional injuries or damage,’ according to the Fever.
There’s no timetable available for her return.
What time is the Phoenix Mercury vs. Indiana Fever game?
The Indiana Fever will host the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, July 30 at 7 p.m. ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3 and Merc+.
How to watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
Streaming: ESPN3, Merc+
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