Kelsey Mitchell scores 29 points, Fever hold on to beat Mercury 92-89

PHOENIX (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell hit a layup with 10.1 seconds left to finish with 29 points and the Indiana Fever held on for a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night.

The teams put two testy games in Indianapolis last month behind them, trading baskets instead of bumps and barbs.

Mitchell put Indiana (13-9) up 90-89 with her layup and Sophie Cunningham added two free throws to secure the win with Caitlin Clark on the bench in street clothes.

Aliyah Boston had 21 points after being held out of a 106-92 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night.

Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper had 22 points each to lead the Mercury (8-15).

Clark didn't play in the back-to-back to rest a lingering back injury, costing her a chance to play against the Mercury for the first time since an altercation with Thomas triggered a firestorm of opinions about the rising WNBA star.

Thomas received a one-game suspension for landing fist-down on Clark’s neck during the June 24 game, leading to death threats and racial slurs on social media. That came two days after Cunningham, who played six seasons in Phoenix, had a lengthy finger-pointing episode with DeWanna Bonner.

The teams' third meeting had no throat punches or finger pointing, only good shooting.

Indiana shot 6 of 10 from 3-point range to lead by four in the first quarter. Phoenix shot 21 of 38 overall and 8 of 14 from 3 to lead 53-47 at halftime.

Phoenix quickly stretched the lead to 10 in the third quarter, but Indiana went on a 13-0 run to go up 62-59 before the teams traded runs in the fourth.

Fever: At Las Vegas on Sunday.

Mercury: At Las Vegas on Saturday.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) shoots a 3-pointer over Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (10) as Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, right, looks on during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, right, hugs Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during player introductions prior to a WNBA basketball game against the Phoenix Mercury, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives between Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) and Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani, right, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives past Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb, left, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nolan Arenado homered and moved closer to 2,000 hits, and Merrill Kelly combined with two relievers on a three-hitter for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Thursday night to take three of four.

The Diamondbacks and Padres are jockeying for second place in the NL West, well behind the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Arizona popped back into a tie with San Diego, 14 1/2 games behind the idle Dodgers.

Arenado homered to left field off Yuki Matsui with two outs in the sixth, his 11th of the season and 364th of his 14-year career. He's six shy of becoming the sixth active player to reach 2,000 hits. He's in his first season with Arizona after spending five with St. Louis and his first eight with Colorado.

The Southern California native has 17 homers at Petco Park, the most by a visiting player. He's reached base safely in 25 of his last 26 games at the downtown ballpark since Sept. 1, 2018.

Kelly (7-8) quieted the Padres a night after they won 10-4. He held San Diego to one run and three hits in seven innings, with six strikeouts and three walks. Kevin Ginkel pitched a perfect eighth and Paul Sewald a perfect ninth for his 21st save.

Kelly’s only big mistake was allowing Manny Machado’s homer to right leading off the second. It was Machado’s 19th overall and fifth in 11 games. Machado was back in the lineup after sitting out Wednesday, a night after fouling a ball off his left big toe.

Geraldo Perdomo's RBI single with two outs in the fifth gave Arizona a 2-1 lead and chased starter Griffin Canning (1-7). A wild pitch by Canning brought in Arizona's first run, in the fourth.

Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-3, 2.25 ERA) is scheduled to start opposite Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.79) on Friday night in Los Angeles. Padres LHP JP Sears (2-1, 4.70 ERA) is scheduled to start against Toronto at home on Friday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado, right, runs the bases after hitting a solo home run off San Diego Padres' Yuki Matsui in the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 9, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

San Diego Padres' Yuki Matsui works against an Arizona Diamondbacks' batter in the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 9, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 9, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Geraldo Perdomo, second from right, congratulates Nolan Arenado (28) as manager Torey Lovullo, right, watches after Arenado hit a solo home run against the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 9, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado, gestures as he crosses the plate after hitting a solo home run against the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 9, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)