INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever continued their winning ways Wednesday night, securing their third straight victory with a 107-101 triumph over Phoenix in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

This will move the Fever to 15-12 overall; it’s their highest mark over .500 so far this season. They’re sixth in the standings, just half a game behind the 15-11 Atlanta Dream.

The Fever will not go on the road for four games in six days, making their way to Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury stats: How did Aliyah Boston, Alyssa Thomas do?

Here are three observations:

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DeWanna Bonner returns to Indiana after early Fever breakup

Former Fever player DeWanna Bonner, who only played nine games in a Fever uniform after being a marquee offseason addition, returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time since she was waived in late June. And she didn’t get a warm reception.

Bonner was heavily booed as she checked into the game for the first time at about the seven-minute mark of the first quarter. The boos continued as she drew a foul on Natasha Howard, then some fans yelled out “quitter!” as she took her free throws. Her teammate and fiancee, Alyssa Thomas, looked to gesture to the crowd as Bonner was taking her free throws, too.

Bonner, the longest-tenured active player in the league, and the Fever had an early breakup after she felt that she wasn’t a good fit in Indiana’s lineup. She struggled as she started three games, then coach Stephanie White moved her to come off the bench. She posted career lows of 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in nine games with the Fever, then requested a trade and left the team for personal reasons for five games.

The Fever eventually waived Bonner on June 25 after they weren’t able to find a suitable trade option for her.

Bonner then signed with the Mercury on July 7, returning to the franchise where she spent 10 years and won two championships. This will be the only time Bonner will be in Gainbridge Fieldhouse as an opponent, and the Fever will travel to Phoenix two times before the end of the regular season.

Bonner ended up having just four points on 1-of-4 shooting and one rebound against Indiana, playing 20 minutes.

Aari McDonald paces Indiana Fever against Mercury

McDonald, who the Fever signed to a rest-of-season contract after waiving Bonner in June, has become crucial for the Fever this season, especially with star guard Caitlin Clark out for an undetermined period of time. And she had one of the best games of her WNBA career against Phoenix.

Standing at 5-6, McDonald is a shifty and fast guard, able to push the pace in transition similar to how Clark runs the offense. She took over the starting position when Clark got injured in hopes they would be able to play a similar pace, and she took advantage of Phoenix’s defensive style on Wednesday night.

Anticipating some quick points after a steal from Lexie Hull in the second quarter, McDonald sprinted down the court to catch a pass, beating out defender Kathryn Westbeld for an easy layup. She’s able to keep herself open, evidenced by a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to cap a 12-0 run for the Fever in the first half.

McDonald wasn’t on a roster to begin the season, getting waived by the Sparks in the final days of training camp. She originally signed with Indiana on a hardship contract in early June when the Fever had both Clark and Sophie Cunningham out with injuries, but had to be released as they returned.

But the Fever liked what they saw. They made it a priority to bring her back.

And she’s showing them why. McDonald finished with a career-high 27 points, along with four assists, in over 30 minutes of play.

Aliyah Boston holds down fourth quarter

Going into the fourth quarter, McDonald was the only Fever starter in double-figures. Aliyah Boston quickly changed that.

Indiana, which led at halftime, was only up two going into the fourth. The Fever have had some trouble this season, too, with maintaining those second-half leads. Too often for Indiana’s liking, it would get up big in the second half, then crumble and let its opponent take over.

But that didn’t happen. Not on Boston’s watch. Boston scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter, single-handedly making sure the Fever stayed in front of the Mercury at a crucial point in the game.

Boston ended up scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, keeping the Fever afloat for their first win over Phoenix this season. She finished with her fourth consecutive double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.