Indiana Fever Head Coach Breaks Silence on DeWanna Bonner Split

Last season when the Indiana Fever made their way to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the biggest nail that kept poking at them was their roster experience. With most of the players never having gone on the postseason run, they were one of the youngest teams to reach Round 1. However, their offseason moves to bring in Stephanie White as their head coach and multiple veterans, including DeWanna Bonner, made them title contenders for many overnight. But now, the league’s third all-time scoring leader in the Fever’s locker room is turning heads for all the wrong reasons. The biggest being– her departure rumors.

The Fever brought in the former Connecticut Sun star on a near-max $200/one-year contract, hoping to add the veteran energy, versatility, floor runner, floor stretcher, and leadership to their young core. Not to mention, her defensive presence that would help Indiana on the front they were amongst the bottom last season. In turn, Bonner would re-unite with former Sun HC White and continue to be a starter in a group where only Aliyah Boston made most noise in the front court. However, just three games in, with White figuring out the best lineups, guard Lexie Hull was chosen over Bonner. Moreover, her numbers did not make much impact for the Fever as they did for her first WNBA team Phoenix Mercury and then the Sun. Have a look:

A few days ago, White asked the Fever fans to support the veteran during her time away due to “personal reasons,” requesting to “Give her the time she needs.” However, FOS’ Annie Costabile hit everyone with a news right before Indiana’s 94-86 road win, “According to multiple league sources, the Indiana Fever and DeWanna Bonner are headed for a breakup.” And now, HC White has shared her thoughts.

In her pregame presser against Seattle, White was asked, “Obviously there were reports today that DB isn’t or doesn’t intend to return to the team. Just what conversations have you had with her and the front office about that?” While giving a cryptic response, the head coach said, “I haven’t had a lot of conversations with her recently, really focused on the team we have right here and what we need to do to position ourselves to win.”

But to think of it, with Bonner missing five straight games, some tell-tale signs were already emerging:

• DeWanna Bonner removed Fever-related posts from her social accounts.
• Whispers about her leaving Indy grew loud
• Locker room differences and starting lineup expectations not being met supported her unhappiness with the team
• The Fever removed her from their banner wall
• The stat pointing out how the Fever have a -10.2 net rating in the 192 minutes she’s played, but a +15.1 net rating in the 328 minutes when she hasn’t been on the court
• Bonner’s agent, Mike Cound, too did not speak to ESPN on the situation last Tuesday 
• Fiancée Alyssa Thomas, who is currently with Phoenix Mercury, also did not respond to questions around Bonner

Still, is Bonner actually leaving? That is something no one guessed or expected. After all, her value extended beyond box-score metrics. During training camp, Coach White lauded Bonner who she brought in from her former team, “She understands how to hold you accountable, but she understands how to love on you, too.” And Caitlin Clark, not even ten when Bonner debuted in 2009, called her “the strongest voice in our locker room.” 

Rumors now fill the air like popcorn in the stands: Retirement, waiver, or trade to Phoenix or Atlanta?

A trade is technically on the table since Bonner’s on a one-year, unprotected $200K deal she signed in February. But it’s a long shot considering that Phoenix has just $88K in cap space, and Atlanta has even less at $24K. Players making Bonner-level money are usually secure, and pulling it off would likely mean bundling multiple contracts just to balance the books. Waiving her?

That’s another option, but not a game-changer. Since her contract isn’t protected, the Fever would only owe her what she’s earned so far. Once the season hits its halfway point, though, the full deal becomes guaranteed. So yeah, time’s running out, and the only real benefit for Indiana? Clearing up some cap space because they certainly didn’t handle this situation correctly.

Coach White and Fever’s handling of Bonner’s absence missed the mark

While whatever Indiana might decide is still up in the air, what’s finalized is critics’ opinion on this matter. Jason Whitlock took to X, and wrote sarcastically, “DeWanna Bonner disappeared for personal reasons. WNBA seems a little more casual than men’s professional leagues. Come and go as you please. I’m new to the league. Is this common?”

So, is it actually a fallout and not just personal reasons as we have been told? People’s opinion of the matter only solidified when @RealBrokerNick’s June 23 photo of Bonner’s missing banner at Gainbridge Fieldhouse cemented Costabile’s claim of a Bonner–Fever breakup.

Fans chimed in almost immediately. “Can [the] Fever officially trade her?” asked one X user, while another quipped, “She might’ve just pulled the plug on her season in Indy.” However, this lead, many fans like @kenswift to call out White’s upbeat spin on the Bonner situation as disingenuous: “I think it’s a bad message to make your fan base believe a player is going through personal issues, when the issue is they don’t want to be here.” 

Well, as we mentioned earlier, head coach Stephanie White kept insisting there was no drama. “She’s doing well, she’s doing well,” White said on Saturday. “Again, no timeline. I think it’s day-to-day, and for us to make sure that we’re continuing to be supportive of DB in her time away.”

Yet the stat sheet tells its own story: Bonner hasn’t logged more than 27 minutes in a single game and took four shots or fewer in five of her nine appearances. Her 21.3-minute average is the lowest since her rookie year in 2009, when she was still easing off the Phoenix bench. Ironically, the Phoenix Mercury had heavily courted her last offseason, and Minnesota even explored deals involving Bonner’s fiancée, Alyssa Thomas. Instead, DeWanna bet on Indiana, only for the fit to feel “off.”