Diana Taurasi on current WNBA CBA negotiations
Former WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi shares her thoughts on the current CBA negotiations with the league and it’s players right now.
Sports Seriously
The defense became the difference for the Phoenix Mercury against the Indiana Fever.
After giving up 107 points in the last meeting, the Mercury (19-11) made sure not to make the same mistake by pressuring every possession in the 95-60 win on Aug. 7.
“Clearly, (it was) a different game plan for us,” Alyssa Thomas said. “I’ve been guarding them a lot smarter. Both of us know that offense very well, and the first time around, emotions were super high, and I don’t think we played our brand of basketball. Tonight was just about being us and playing defense.”
Thomas made history with her third consecutive triple-double after assisting on DeWanna Bonner’s 3-pointer with 3:47 left in the fourth. She finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Thomas now has four triple-doubles in 2025 and 15 triple-doubles in her 11-year career.
In what felt like a playoff atmosphere at PHX Arena, neither team held back with chippiness.
Bonner, who was waived by the Fever in June, received a smattering of boos when she’d enter the court and cheers when she’d miss her shots. In her first meeting against the Fever on July 30, Bonner posted four points on 1 of 4 shooting.
She bounced back to lead all scorers with 23 points on 7 of 16 shooting, along with seven rebounds on Aug. 7.
“Emotions got kind of high, and it’s been a journey getting back to being happy playing basketball again,” Bonner said. “The joy showed. I tried to find that for a minute, and basketball was kind of off the radar for me a little bit. I didn’t know if I loved it anymore and had long conversations with Alyssa about it. Just to feel that again and feel that energy was just amazing, and I feel like it was a game that I needed to remind me that I love this and I love being here and I love Phoenix and I love playing basketball.”
Bonner credited her kids for helping her find her love of basketball again after spending some time away following her stint with the Fever. She also said being back where she was drafted was helpful.
“Even if Alyssa wasn’t here, I was here for 10 years,” Bonner said. “Phoenix is still the same even though everything else has changed. I walked the wrong way to the locker rooms for my first time, but the fans are still the same, the love is still the same, the energy is still the same. It was needed in that time.”
Bonner didn’t spare her feelings on the court. In the play leading up to her 3-pointer and in the first quarter, Bonner was exchanging words with Fever guard Lexie Hull.
Bonner also forced a turnover on Cunningham and drew a clear path foul when Sophie Cunningham wrapped around her for the ball with 36.3 seconds left in the third quarter.
“We’re all human, and there’s probably a lot of people that doubted she could still play at the same level,” Tibbetts said. “It didn’t work out for either party while she was there (in Indiana). I’m sure that it’s left a chip on her shoulder. It was an emotional game last week for all of us going back there. The bounce back she had, good for her… There was an edge to her, which is great.”
The Mercury honored Cunningham, who was traded following six seasons in Phoenix, with a pregame video tribute. But as soon as the game started, all fond memories were pushed aside.
Cunningham knocked down three 3-pointers in the second quarter, including one that prompted Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts to call a timeout with 7:32 left. After Cunningham hit the shot, she clapped in Tibbetts’ face and was confronted by Kahleah Copper afterward.
Cunningham carried the struggling Fever’s offense with 18 points and was reminiscent of her career season in 2022. She felt comfortable back in the arena and shot five of the Fever’s seven 3-pointers.
Her performance garnered more defensive attention, including a moment in the third quarter when Thomas and Copper swarmed her for the ball, eventually forcing a jump ball, which led to a 3-pointer from Kathryn Westbeld for an 18-point lead.
There were times when Cunningham benefited from the chippy game. After Cunningham hit a 3 in the third, she drew a foul from Copper after the two were bumping each other during the Mercury’s offensive possession.
The Mercury looked their best at full strength as they have all season. The defense forced 22 turnovers that converted into 19 points. The Mercury also limited the Fever to one shot countless times, only allowing 11 second-chance points on nine attempts.
With Satou Sabally’s pressure on the glass with eight rebounds, the Mercury won the rebounding battle, 44-32. Inside, the Mercury tallied 46 paint points.
Fever star Caitlin Clark was sidelined for the ninth consecutive game with a right groin injury she’s had since July 15. Clark has had four different muscle injuries this season and has been sidelined for more than half of the Fever’s games, totaling the longest absence of her playing career.
The Mercury are now two-and-a-half games ahead of the Fever and fourth in the WNBA standings. The two teams will decide the season series in a crucial game at PHX Arena on Sept. 2.
The Mercury will face the third-place Atlanta Dream on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. The game will be shown on Arizona’s Family 3TV.