Just when you thought all was calm between the Indiana Fever and DeWanna Bonner, there came the social media whispers. Fans informed that Bonner had reportedly scrubbed her bio of all things Indiana Fever, and deleted several team-related posts. Just to stir the pot further, her picture also mysteriously disappeared from the team’s banner wall as per social media. Naturally, panic ensued. But again, is there actually bad blood? Because what the Fever HC has been saying suggests otherwise.

Bonner’s move from the Connecticut Sun to the Fever was one of the offseason’s biggest headlines. ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo even called it the move that made Indiana a legit title contender. “It’s just exciting times,” Caitlin Clark had chimed in. But those exciting times didn’t last long. Just four games into the season, Bonner was benched. Out of nine appearances, she’s started only three.

But since June 12, Bonner has been completely missing in action, with “personal reasons” listed as the cause. The Fever, without her leadership and versatility, has dropped their last two, looking noticeably out of sync. And when asked about Bonner’s status, Stephanie White offered a carefully worded update: “Yeah, she’s doing well…Again, no timeline. I think it’s stay today and for us to make sure we’re continuing to be supportive of DB”. Earlier, she had also said that the team is “giving her the time she needs”. So, things are murky at best with conflicting signs pointing in every possible direction. And as expected, the rumor mill is running full-time, with WNBA analyst Rosalina Lee chiming in, too.

On June 23, the analyst mentioned on her namesake YouTube channel, “It’s getting to the point where I think either today or tomorrow, I’m assuming that we’re going to hear something.” She continued, saying, “It could be a medical thing. It could be that she’s considering retirement. It could be because she’s seeing that she really can’t keep up with the pacing that the Indiana Fever want to play. She does have kids—there could be a reason that she feels that maybe the pressure of the team is creating issues. I mean, honestly, it could be such a number of reasons, and I think that this is why the Indiana Fever do need to come out and be a little more transparent about it.”

Lee also went ahead and debunked some of the rumors going around. “It hasn’t been picked up by any credible news sources. There is nobody that can validate or confirm that DeWanna Bonner [had] any Indiana Fever posts in her grid. There were many stories that she had posted for sure, but I don’t have her Instagram committed to memory. So, I can’t say when I have looked through [her Instagram].”

Further taking the example of the Los Angeles Sparks’ Rickea Johnson who was also rumored to remove the team’s name from her IG bio earlier this month, the analyst mentioned, “There is a second rumor going around that DeWanna Bonner took out the Indiana Fever from her bio. Now, I don’t think that she ever had it in her bio. We just went through this with Rickea Jackson—that there was a rumor that was started about Rickea Jackson taking the Los Angeles Sparks out of her bio, but Rakia Jackson never had it in her bio. And then, what do you know, Rickea Jackson gets back on the court…I haven’t seen any credible news outlets covering the story.”

As respectful as Lee was about the entire situation, you can’t help but wonder: Could retirement really be what Bonner is considering? Or worse, is the Fever’s front office done with the veteran? Unlikely, as per Lee. “DeWanna Bonner is on an unprotected contract. That contract is a $200,000 contract for the season. So, technically, they can cut her, I think. That would be the last thing that the Indiana Fever would do, especially to a decorated veteran of the league…I think that they would cut before cutting Bonner such as maybe Avery Turner.”

“I definitely think something is up. This is all very odd behavior…four games is a bit unusual to not understand why one of the leaders of the team, at least like a vocal leader of the team, is out. Now…I am positive that we are going to know something very soon,” she concluded. Yet, the idea of a retirement doesn’t seem too far-fetched. In an interview with Romper just last year, Bonner made it quite clear that she would like to spend more time with her children. “Of course, the ball is gonna stop bouncing one day. You want to make your money when you can, but at the same time I’m looking at them [her twins] and I’m just like, there’s no way that I can go thousands of miles away.”

But it’s still hard to believe that the time has come. After recently becoming the league’s 3rd all-time leading scorer, it’s clear that Bonner still has plenty in the tank to offer. If recent games against the Valkyries and the Aces have shown anything, it’s that Caitlin Clark will need more scorers around her. Who better than Bonner? And not to forget that she had just two reasons to join the Fever, turning down offers from almost-champions Lynx. As Bonner had mentioned, “I want to win another championship.” And the most important reason? Indiana is closer to her kids than any other city.

Yet, if the retirement speculations turn out to be true, that leaves the Fever front office to think about who they could bring in to replace Bonner. With Damiris Dantas set to miss time from June 26 to July 8 for the FIBA AmeriCup, the Fever could be down to just nine players if Bonner doesn’t return. That leaves Indiana in a dire spot.

Potential DeWanna Bonner replacements

Now, first things first. The Fever currently can’t sign anyone on a hardship deal since they still have 11 healthy players on the roster. But with Damiris Dantas set to leave for national team duties, that situation could shift – provided DeWanna Bonner doesn’t return.

Now, the Fever might look for a frontcourt player instead of a guard. However, if they make Brianna Turner step up in Bonner’s place and trust rookie Makayla Timpson, then there is one obvious name that comes to mind: Aari McDonald. She was impressive during her short stint with the Fever while Caitlin Clark was out with her quad injury. In just three games, McDonald averaged 11 points and 3 assists.

Coach White praised Aari for her performances with the Fever, saying,” She has been the ultimate pro. She came in ready to go, she had watched such a large amount of film just in her flight in here that you could tell already, her high IQ. She’s a dog, and we’re gonna miss her certainly. What she brought to the table for us, and being able to come in at the point guard position, and just really impact us right away, was huge.”

The praise does suggest that she could be the one to come back. Another player who could come in would be Bree Hall. One of the best perimeter defenders in college over the past year, Hall was drafted by the Fever but was let go due to roster restrictions. She’s currently suiting up for the Valkyries, but with EuroBasket wrapping up soon, she could find herself without a team. And if the timing lines up, a reunion with the Fever might be on the cards.

What’s next for DeWanna Bonner? That remains to be seen. Fans everywhere are hoping she’s able to overcome whatever she’s dealing with and return to the court in a Fever jersey. Will she make a comeback? We’ll just have to wait and see. But what do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!