The Phoenix Mercury will face the Indiana Fever for the third and final time this season, in Phoenix, on Thursday, July 9.
And the meeting comes just two weeks after tensions flared between the teams during back-to-back games in Indianapolis.
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Since the two-game set, Mercury star Alyssa Thomas has received death threats over her flagrant foul on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
In the June 24 meeting, Thomas was among three Mercury players scrambling for a loose ball with Clark. Upon Clark getting rid of the ball, Thomas hovered over her with a fist on her shoulder, which moved down to Clark’s throat. Thomas then stood up and walked over Clark with the ball going the other way.
According to Thomas, the play was a “complete accident” and the team didn’t realize she put her fist to Clark’s throat until after the game when fans shared clips of the incident. The Fever players also didn’t see the play happen in real time.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball,” Thomas said on June 30. “Now, we’re painted as thugs, and there’s death threats out on us. It’s really unacceptable and needs to change in this league. I’m sick and tired of it.”
Thomas reiterated coach Nate Tibbetts’ earlier comments that the WNBA didn’t reach out during the evaluation process. She didn’t know she was suspended until 10 minutes before the league posted the news on social media and has yet to hear from the league’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, about the situation.
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But not long after Thomas went public about how the league handled the situation, the Athletic reported that Engelbert had “exchanged texts and offered to get on a call with Thomas last week.” Engelbert also directed league security to contact Phoenix’s security and released a statement condemning “any and all forms of hate.”
More WNBA: Mercury’s Thomas slams WNBA on Caitlin Clark incident; league responds
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts stood by Thomas in his pregame speech on June 27 and said Fever coach Stephanie White’s previous comments about Thomas throwing “cheap shots” against the Fever were “ridiculous.”
“I respect Steph White. I got to know her through USA Basketball,” Tibbetts said. “I respect her as a coach and a person, and I understand her sticking up for Caitlin in this situation. But to say that we had two cheap shots in that game to me is ridiculous.”
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White later condemned the “absolutely unacceptable” behavior of those sending Thomas death threats.
“I think as a league, as a whole, there’s been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia, straight-out nonsense … it is absolutely unacceptable,” White said on July 1. “If you are one of these people that are online doing this, do not call yourself a WNBA fan.”
White added that she believes most of the toxic discourse surrounding Thomas is the direct result of online agitators using the situation to further their agendas, instead of those of true fans of the Fever or the league.
White said she hadn’t spoken to either Thomas or Tibbetts, but plans to connect with them in Phoenix.
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Fever guard Sophie Cunningham didn’t mince words about her former team while on her podcast, alleging that she still knows people in the Mercury organization who don’t like the current roster.
“Like nobody likes their team this year and they say that they’re the unfriendliest group,” Cunningham said. “So we’re not the only ones who feel that way. Internal people feel that way, too.”
Cunningham and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner each got technical fouls following a fracas in the first meeting this season. Cunningham went viral for pointing at Bonner while Bonner was making her case with the officials.
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“I was just kind of pointing and she’s like, ‘Don’t you point at me.’ You shouldn’t say that,” Cunningham said. “I didn’t say a word. That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I think it’s dumb, but it was (upsetting her) and I couldn’t help myself. She was losing (it) and all I did was point.”
Bonner has a history with the Fever that dates back to 2025 when she was signed by Indiana, but struggled offensively in her first nine games. She then had a five-game absence due to personal reasons before being waived. She then joined with the Mercury to team up with Thomas, whom she played with in Connecticut and were partners.
Bonner has continuously received online hate for her move and took time to find her love of basketball again.
Will Caitlin Clark play against the Mercury?
As of Tuesday, July 7, Clark’s status against the Mercury is up in the air.
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The Fever have a back-to-back beginning in Los Angeles on July 8, followed by Phoenix the next day. Clark said she doesn’t anticipate playing both games and will play on a minutes restriction against the Sparks if practice goes well.
She added she’ll be available for the Las Vegas Aces on July 12 if she plays in LA.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury to host series finale with Fever. Maybe without Caitlin Clark
