The Indiana Fever waived perennial All-Star wing DeWanna Bonner on Wednesday, who was heralded as a vital free agent signing in the offseason. She was away from the team since June 11, missing five games due to personal reasons.
On Tuesday, Front Office Sports reported that Bonner had no intention of returning to the Fever. In nine games, she averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per game.
“I want to sincerely thank the Indiana Fever for the opportunity to be part of the Fever franchise," Bonner said in a news release. "Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out, and I appreciate the organization’s willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career. I wish the Fever great success as they continue to build around this dynamic group of young players.”
During pregame before facing the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, Fever coach Stephanie White was unmoved when asked about the news surrounding Bonner.
"Haven't had a lot of conversations with her recently," said White. "Really been focused on the team we have right here and what we need to do to position ourselves to win."
Bonner started the first three games of the season, but struggled to adjust on a new roster. She was demoted to the bench for Lexie Hull. In the six games Bonner played as a reserve, she averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds.
The Aftermath
When news of Indiana waiving Bonner hit social media, speculation quickly became the center of attention.
There certainly are other factors that could have played a role in Bonner’s request to seek greener pastures. In a live stream online, Bonner’s former Sun teammates, Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, commented on her exit from the Fever.
“That’s crazy,” said Williams. “I’m not gon lie, that was crazy. I think it’s even crazier because like bro, we know DB. That was our teammate. So like, what the hell going on over there to make her.”
“She’s a pro,” said Hiedeman.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying,” continued Williams. “She’s a pro’s pro. Even when it’s, like, sitting out games. I didn’t even know she sat out… and now it’s like, parting ways, bro. Man, I don’t know what’s going on over there. But I know DB’s a pro’s pro. It had to be something.”
Williams and Hiedeman went on to explain how the sequence of events leading up to Bonner’s departure doesn’t correlate with the teammate and person they know her to be. Their accounts of the situation lend a different viewpoint because we may never know if her decision was rooted solely on the court.
In the initial report, Bonner felt the fit with the Fever was “off” since the season started. When signing with Indiana, she believed that she would be a starter. With only three games played as a full-time starter, it’s a disservice to a six-time All-Star to use the stretch as a barometer for Bonner’s production down the line.
At 37 years old, Bonner has a limited time left in the WNBA to pursue a championship while playing in a situation that suits her game. Based on her statement, this was not the case in the Hoosier State.
Bonner signed a one-year, $200,000 deal and was expected to be an impactful veteran leader for a team looking to compete. On paper, acquiring Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham gave the illusion that Indiana built a solid core around superstars Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark worthy of competing for a championship.
With over a fourth of the season played at this point, this experiment is proving to be an early failure.
This is the source of anger currently being directed at Bonner, when, like many other underachieving teams across the league, it should be aimed at front office personnel. Championships are built, not bought, in the WNBA.
After pairing former league MVP Jonquel Jones and seven-time All-WNBA forward Breanna Stewart with Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty formed one of the most formidable nuclei in league history. But it took time, effort, and a Finals loss to push New York to be the best version of itself.
Chemistry and continuity go together like a moth to a flame, but it does not mysteriously develop overnight. The defending champion Liberty is a near-perfect example.
Natasha Howard left the Dallas Wings and rejoined the team that fifth overall over a decade ago. Her homecoming was viewed as a veteran anchor in the frontcourt next to Boston, lessening her load as a rim protector and giving her a solid offensive threat to play off of. So far, Howard hasn’t answered the call consistently enough.
After averaging 17.6 points per game in her last season with the Wings, Howard has struggled to adjust to the new system. She’s averaging nearly seven points (6.7) less than last season, currently sitting at 10.9 per outing. Her shot attempts are down across the board.
Inside the arc, she’s shooting 69.8 percent at the rim, which is a career-high, but she’s taking fewer shots within the offense and away from the rim. To maximize her abilities, you would like to see her utilized more often as a cutter to open up her game. She’s only averaging 1.2 per game, but shoots 73.3 percent when she does.
Veteran forward Sophie Cunningham wasn’t traded to the Fever to be an “enforcer”, as some were led to believe. If anything, her arrival in the Circle City was a byproduct of a league-record, 10-team trade that sent Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally to the Mercury and DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith to the Wings.
Since joining the Fever, Cunningham is averaging the fewest points since her third season and is shooting a career-low on twos (30.8), while shooting the worst from deep (33%) since her sophomore season in the WNBA. The Missouri native has had no issue making headlines for on-court performances unrelated to consistent production, though.
In her career, Bonner has won two championships, three consecutive Sixth Woman of the Year awards, and two All-WNBA honors. If she felt her current situation wasn’t conducive to her path, then she was well within her rights as a professional athlete to find one that is.
Fans wasted no time online to state their displeasure with Bonner’s exit. As with most things in life, the radioactive delegation towers over all others.
For one, driveling on about how every “controversial” moment that occurs in the WNBA is an indication that the league can’t withstand the meteoric rise it is experiencing across the board is simply false.
Not only is this a tired attempt at humor dripping in misogyny, but it also doesn’t make sense structurally.
In 2023, NBA star James Harden publicly disparaged 76ers president Daryl Morey at an Adidas event in China after reports surfaced that the team ended its pursuit to trade the All-Star guard.
"Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of," Harden said. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."
Harden was reportedly displeased with the front office over the lack of a long-term max deal. He refused to play for the team, opted into his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season, and requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he plays now.
When speaking to reporters at practice before being traded, Harden said the relationship with the front office was irreparable.
This was just the first of many times the future Hall of Famer has left a team. He requested a trade from the Houston Rockets and was sent to the Brooklyn Nets. For several reasons, Harden wished to be traded again and ended up with the Sixers before being traded to the Clippers.
In Sept. 2018, All-Star guard Jimmy Butler formally requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In his infamous practice after the request was made public, Butler used his time to air his grievances with everyone from front office executives, teammates, and coaches.
According to ESPN, Butler yelled at then-Wolves GM Scott Layden: "You f---ing need me, Scott. You can't win without me."
In an interview with ESPN afterwards, Butler provided reasoning for his emotional outburst.
"I haven't played basketball in so long. I'm so passionate. I don't do it for any reason but to compete. All my emotion came out in one time. Was it the right way? No! But I can't control that when I'm out there competing. That's raw me, me at my finest, me at my purest. Inside the lines.”
A month later, Butler was traded to the Sixers, where he played 55 games and was traded again in the summer to the Miami Heat. He played six seasons in Miami before forcing his way out of another team. Butler was suspended three times back in January before being suspended indefinitely by the team.
Eight days later, Butler was in the Bay as a Warrior.
Scores of identical scenarios have occurred in the world of sports, and that is expected, especially considering that teams waste no time making decisions that suit the organization first.
If anything, the fact that Bonner’s exit from a .500 team in a three-way tie for seventh in the standings is being discussed as much as it is speaks to the growth of the game and engagement within growing fan bases across the league.
As long as the feelings and opinions are respectful, the voices of fans should be heard. If they feel like Bonner quit on their team, whether that is true or not, there is a level of entitlement to these takes that should be given.
Player Movement Is Not New
For the record, players seeking to leave their teams is not new in sports, nor is it some new revelation in the WNBA. This may be the case for some, and that’s where the Internet comes in handy.
In 2015, former Sky center and 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Sylvia Fowles sat out half the season after requesting to be traded. She only had one team in mind — the Minnesota Lynx.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am to be a part of the Minnesota Lynx family,” Fowles wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “I’m also a bit nervous, like the first day of school. They have a very strong culture and I am anxious to join the team and start contributing.”
After rescuing the legend from basketball armageddon, Fowles went on to win two championships, an MVP award, two additional DPOY awards (she’s second all-time with four), and four All-WNBA and All-Defense honors. The Lynx clearly won the trade.
The 2022 season was the birth of “contract divorces”, a term teams throw out when a player and the front office mutually agree to end a contract. Essentially, a buyout.
On Jun. 25, 2022, former league MVP Tina Charles and the Phoenix Mercury agreed to an immediate contract divorce.
"After discussions with Tina and her agent, it was best for both parties to go our separate ways at this time," then-Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said. "Due to circumstances both in and out of our control, our season has not gone according to our plan, and we will continue to pursue all avenues for improvement."
Charles’ exit from Phoenix didn’t happen overnight. Following her release, ESPN reported that it had been developing for the majority of the season. The future Hall of Famer was dissatisfied with her usage in the offense and thought she would have a larger presence in the team’s attack in Brittney Griner’s absence while being wrongfully detained in Russia.
Per ESPN’s reporting, Charles made comments about wanting to leave the team frequently, and her wish was granted quickly.
Less than a month after Charles, the Los Angeles Sparks and center Liz Cambage agreed to a contract divorce in her first season with the team.
“It is with support that we share Liz Cambage’s decision to terminate her contract with the organization,” Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman said in a statement. “We want what’s best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably. The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth.”
According to then-Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, Cambage’s teammates had issues with the four-time All-Star before she even joined the team.
“Multiple players on the team felt the center could help the Sparks if she was focused and committed, but they expressed concerns that she’s known to be a player others don’t like to play with, sources said,” Haynes wrote.
The players’ concerns were proven to be valid. Cambage often complained about the lack of touches she received. The Australian native also wanted to wear the No. 1 jersey, which belonged to Amanda Zahui B., so former Sparks coach Derek Fisher asked Zahui B. if she would give it to Cambage.
Zahui B. declined because it was hers. But Cambage continued to make an issue about it, so Haynes reported, “Sources say management eventually made the call to give the number to the new starting center.”
Haynes went on to report that Zahui B. discovered her number was taken away from her via social media. Zahui B. ended up not playing that season due to overseas commitments, but this was still deeply disturbing to the Sparks’ locker room.
There was also the issue of Cambage’s reported use of slurs during a pre-Olympics scrimmage against Nigeria in 2021. Cambage reportedly called the Nigerian players “monkeys” and told them to “go back to your third-world country.”
Keep in mind that All-Stars Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, who are sisters of Nigerian descent, were on that team at the time.
There were three other contract divorces in 2022, but they failed to make headlines. There were three such agreements in 2021.
Before the 2025 season kicked off, the Fever and current Seattle Storm forward Katie Lous Saumuelson agreed to a buyout. Samuelson was scheduled to make $180,000 on a protected contract. Indiana paid her $106,419, according to Her Hoop Stats.
Back To Bonner
Bonner is available off waivers, but teams were advised not to claim her since she wishes to join the Phoenix Mercury, per a report from Front Office Sports.
Since there aren’t many teams that can take on her contract, Bonner will most likely clear waivers after 48 hours. The Mercury currently have $88,103 in cap room, which makes signing Bonner to the veteran minimum of $78,831 a simple transaction.
The Atlanta Dream was the only other team Bonner listed, but they only have $23,939 in cap space and would have to waive a player.
The probability of another team with space signing her is low since it would result in the same scenario with the Fever.