Indiana Fever stars shine despite Phoenix Mercury's resilient effort on Friday

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© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indiana Fever handed the Phoenix Mercury a loss on Friday for the second time this season. Phoenix was short-handed and was dealt the cards of adversity even before tip-off. Diana Taurasi, Sug Sutton, and Charisma Osborne were already slated to miss out on Friday’s contest, but just over an hour before the game began, Mercury point guard Natasha Cloud was listed as out with a left knee injury.

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This was rather sudden, as Cloud wasn’t even listed as questionable ahead of time. This took Phoenix’s top guard defender out of the lineup, and last time against Indiana, Cloud went from guarding the likes of Caitlin Clark to Aliyah Boston. Her versatility and tenacity would’ve been a major help, but this wouldn’t be the last domino to fall for the Mercury.

Brittney Griner would be taken out of the game after a hard collision with Indiana guard Lexie Hull. This gave Phoenix just six active players to work with, and although it persevered and nearly clawed back from a 31-point deficit, the injury-riddled Mercury stood no match to the fresh legs of the Fever.

The 1st trio of teammates with a double-double and 2+ BLK each in the same WNBA regular season game:

Aliyah Boston: 21 PTS / 13 REB / 2 BLKCaitlin Clark: 20 PTS / 13 AST / 2 BLKNaLyssa Smith: 14 PTS / 10 REB / 2 BLKhttps://t.co/ygwx7qTobx

— Across the Timeline (@WBBTimeline) July 13, 2024

Clark (20 points, 13 assists, two blocks), Boston (21 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks), and NaLyssa Smith (14 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks) became the first trio of teammates in WNBA history to record a double-double and two-plus blocks in the same regular season game.

Kelsey Mitchell also chipped in for Indiana, scoring a team-high 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting. The Fever were far more ready for this moment, largely due to the uncertainty that surrounded the Mercury’s status.

Down a lot of players. Never quit. #ValleyTogether pic.twitter.com/QwSCaiSmGN

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 13, 2024

There were some positives to take away from this loss, however. Kahleah Copper continues her regular season tear with 36 points. Mikiah Herbert Harrigan continues to shine in her newfound role, scoring 10 points and collecting seven rebounds while recording two steals and one block. Celeste Taylor saw the floor for 24 minutes and tallied five assists — the same day she was brought to the team.

And as a whole, Phoenix’s next-player-up mentality continues to grow with more bench players getting the opportunity to play meaningful minutes and help bring the team back to within striking distance.

Despite that, Friday’s contest was surely a tough loss for the Mercury, and it’s hard to point at the positives when three starters and two bench players are down and injured. The stars shined in Indiana, and the Fever take a 2-0 season lead on the Mercury.