Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas made WNBA history Tuesday when she became the first player in league history with consecutive triple-doubles in the Mercury’s rout of Connecticut.
Now, Phoenix has revenge in mind for Thursday, when the Mercury host the Indiana Fever in a rematch of the Fever’s 107-101 victory eight days earlier in Indianapolis.
“We need to get them back,” said Phoenix’s Satou Sabally, who had 23 points and six rebounds in the 82-66 victory over the Sun after missing one game for personal reasons.
The Fever again are expected to be without star guard Caitlin Clark, who has missed the last eight games with a right groin injury and has played only 13 games this season.
Thomas had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists against the Sun, two days after having a 10/10/10 line in an 83-67 victory over the Chicago Sky.
“A.T.’s just legendary,” Sabally said. “You really have to be ready and be in the game all the time with her. It keeps your brain on. She will make the right play.”
Even without Clark, the Fever had their season high in points in their victory over the Mercury. Guard Aari McDonald had a season-high 27 points, and the Fever shot 51.6 percent from the field.
The Fever had a five-game winning streak broken in a 100-91 loss at Los Angeles on Tuesday, the third of a four-game road trip that will conclude in Phoenix.
Kelsey Mitchell had 34 points, her third 30-point game of the season, but the Fever shot only 44.4 percent from the field. The Sparks shot 56.1 percent and had a 32-27 rebounding edge.
Thomas had 32 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the first game against Indiana, becoming the fourth player in WNBA history to have a game of at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Candace Parker had two, while Tina Thompson and Tina Charles each had one.
The Indiana-Los Angeles game was interrupted when a fan threw a sex toy on the floor.
“We don’t know who those people are,” Mitchell said. “We like to think we come to play the game and people want to see us play. We can’t control everybody’s actions.
“To the person or people who are doing it who think it is cool, that is up to them.
“To a higher power, we’ll keep praying for you.”
–Field Level Media
