Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever are coming off a tough 106-92 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday. In the middle of their four-game road trip, which started on Sunday with an 84-68 win over the Las Vegas Aces, White is preparing Indiana to face the Phoenix Mercury for its first back-to-back game of the 2026 WNBA season on Thursday.
The last time the Fever faced the Mercury, the game was marred by controversy. In the second quarter of Indiana's 111-109 win over Phoenix on June 24, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas appeared to hit Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the neck with a closed fist during a scramble for the ball. Although Clark continued playing, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year left the game early with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter.
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Although Clark continued playing, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year left the game early with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter. Thomas was later suspended by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for one game without pay. Although superstar guard Clark will not play in Thursday's game, Indiana still expects a raucous environment for the night game. On Thursday, the Fever went to social media to make a request of fans before the game.
On its Instagram Story, Indiana posted a graphic showing 7 Brew Drinks and a Wilson ball and blanket, both with the team logo and insignia displayed. The Fever captioned the image with a request for fans to grab a refreshment from 7 Brew. 7 Brew is a drive-thru coffee shop that, alongside coffee, serves other beverages such as energy drinks, sodas, smoothies, and teas.
"CLOCKING IN FOR LATE-NIGHT HOOPS ⏰," Indiana wrote. "@7brewcoffee Grab a refreshing beverage from 7 Brew before tonight's 10 p.m. tipoff against the Mercury 🔥."
Indiana will head to the Mortgage Matchup Center to face Phoenix at 10 p.m. ET.
