Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever get rejected by prominent WNBA player

Doubling down on DeWanna

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

DeWanna Bonner was viewed as one of the missing pieces to a potential championship equation for the Indiana Fever. Instead of being the driving force that led the team to the promised land, Bonner decided to leave the franchise and Caitlin Clark after just nine games.

Important in Indiana

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

When the Fever signed Bonner in early February, both the team and the player seemed to be excited about the partnership. Bonner said in a statement, “I’m extremely thankful to be joining an organization that’s on the rise and committed to growing the sport of women’s basketball. I’m looking forward to coming in, sharing my leadership and knowledge, and doing my part to help get this team back to its championship pedigree.”

Honeymoon

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

Things seemed to be off to a strong start in training camp, as Bonner got used to her new teammates and Caitlin Clark got used to the veteran. Bonner told Yahoo Sports in late April, “The relationship is going great,” as she smiled. “I love C.”

Praising the team

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

Bonner continued, “I think we got a good group of kids. I say kids because I’m older, but a great group of ladies. They want to get to the next level, so you don’t really have to do much.”

Delighted with DeWanna

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

Caitlin Clark also seemed happy to have Bonner on the team, telling Yahoo Sports, “Just the way she talks and she leads, for me as a second-year point guard, I want to win for her. This is the end of her career. She deserves it.”

Perfection

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

In addition to Bonner’s experience at age 37, she also has an accomplished resume in the WNBA. As noted on Basketball Reference, she’s a two-time WNBA champion, a six-time All-Star and a three-time Sixth Woman of the Year winner.

Shocker

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

However, after just nine games in Indiana, Bonner was mysteriously away from the team for “personal reasons.” This all unfolded less than two months after Bonner and the Fever seemed smitten with one another.

Bye bye Bonner

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

After she was away from the team for two weeks, the Fever released Bonner in June. It became clear shortly thereafter that Bonner wasn’t dealing with any type of personal situation away from the court. Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile reported that Bonner wanted to sign with the Phoenix Mercury once she cleared waivers, which is an indication that she wants to continue playing basketball. She just felt like she couldn’t do it in Indiana, which is fascinating, and perhaps concerning.

Familiarity

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

Indiana also seemed like a great fit for Bonner because she had spent the last two years playing under Stephanie White for the Connecticut Sun. The veteran player wasn’t going to have to establish a new relationship with a different coach; White and Bonner teamed up to lead Connecticut to the second round of the WNBA playoffs in 2023 and 2024. Their pre-existing familiarity makes it even stranger that Bonner left early in the 2025 WNBA campaign.

Saying the right things

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

It’s also entirely possible that Bonner felt like she had to prop up her new teammates in Indiana and put on a brave face with the public back in April. While she did say the Fever had a great group of young players who wanted to win, it’s possible that Bonner did not actually feel that way. Considering she’s a two-time champion herself, Bonner likely would have stuck around if she felt the Fever had a legitimate cast of characters who could win it all.

The Caitlin factor

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

Of course, it’s hard to analyze the Fever without taking a closer look at Caitlin Clark. Is it possible that Bonner just didn’t feel that connected to Indiana’s best player? USA Today’s Christine Brennan thought the attention surrounding Clark and the team eventually caused Bonner to seek a different team.

Burning bright

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Brennan said, “It’s just a super hot spotlight. And instead of loving it, and going with it, and making money because Caitlin can’t do every supermarket gig… they’re all getting that stuff, the Fever players, because Caitlin can’t do everything. And so this is a great life for them. And (Bonner) couldn’t handle it, or didn’t want it, or it was getting to her.”

A different reality

Doubling down on DeWanna, Important in Indiana, Honeymoon, Praising the team, Delighted with DeWanna, Perfection, Bye bye Bonner, Familiarity, Saying the right things, The Caitlin factor, Burning bright, A different reality

Brennan said that according to a couple of her sources, Bonner was flummoxed by that stage, which is surprising given her WNBA resume. After she was released, Bonner said in a statement, “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…”

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