The Indiana Fever may have entered the season as underdogs, but if there’s one area where they truly stole headlines, it was controversy. The most striking example came when DeWanna Bonner made her abrupt exit just nine games in, a move that sent fans into an uproar. Ever since, Fever supporters have accused Bonner of “quitting” on Caitlin Clark and company. And just as the tension seemed to cool, Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts poured gasoline back on the fire.

“The last two offseasons, we’ve tried to get DB to come back to Phoenix. And so we’ve been able to build a relationship a little bit. Unfortunately, she didn’t pick us twice. Third time’s the charm.” Tibbetts said. Some Fever fans interpreted it as a preplanned plot to steal Bonner from the Fever. With this statement fresh on their minds, Game 2 of the WNBA Finals became the latest flash point in her turbulent narrative as her attempt for a Caitlin Clark-style logo three fell flat.

Here’s how it panned out: It was early in the second quarter of Game 2. The Mercury were ahead in the game at the time. The scoreline was 29-24 with less than nine minutes remaining in the first half. Satou Sabally ran the usual pick-and-roll with Alyssa Thomas and passed it to Bonner on the wing, who had acres of space. She let it fly from 29 feet. To everyone’s surprise, a 36% 3-point shooter in 2025 couldn’t even touch the rim. 

At this point, any long-range shot is bound to get Caitlin Clark comparisons. Even play-by-play announcers sometimes use “Caitlin Clark range” while calling long-range shots in games where she isn’t even involved. So, when Bonner airballed a three-pointer from Caitlin Clark’s range, the Indiana Fever fans and the WNBA community pounced.

Fans rip DeWanna Bonner after disappointing Game 2 showing

DeWanna Bonner came back to the Mercury and seemingly revived her career. From playing 21.3 minutes to score just 7.1 points on average in Indiana to playing 24.4 minutes and 10.9 points per game, she has improved a lot. She was among the main reasons Mercury finished as the No. 4 seed. Her impact from the bench in the regular season was phenomenal, with 4.3 rebounds while shooting 42.6% from the field. She was billed as the difference-maker, but now looks like a drag, and this viral moment gave fans all the ammo they needed.

“DeWanna Bonner thinks she’s Caitlin Clark 😂😂😂. Stick to layups and quitting teams, please.” Wrote a fan. Again, the “quitter” allegation comes into play, and it’s a reasonable one, to be fair. Fever fans showered Bonner with love when she joined, and suddenly she just stopped coming to the games. They wanted Bonner to be the vet taking Caitlin Clark and Co. to the next level. Instead, she left for Phoenix after much controversy. Whether she actually ‘quit’ or not is another argument, but the optics don’t look great.   

Another fan chimed in, writing, “It’s ok DeWanna Bonner, not everyone can shoot from Caitlin Clark range. All that space can be intimidating.” Well, Bonner isn’t particularly bad from ‘Caitlin Clark range’. In 2025, she shot 38 3-pointers at 33.9% from beyond 24 feet but just 2 from 30+ feet. However, the playoffs have been a different story. She is 6-27 from 24+feet while shooting at a dismal 24.1 % from the 3-point line as a whole.

It seems the experienced Bonner hasn’t been able to step up when the Mercury needs him the most. “Nate Tibbetts is about to lose the WNBA finals because he won’t bench DeWanna Bonner,” wrote another fan. In game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Bonner shot 4-13 from the field for 10 points while being a liability on defense. She gave away many open threes to the Aces that allowed them to capitalize, finishing with a game-worst -12 net rating. 

Then came Game 2, where she went 1-5 from the field for 4 points without a rebound and had a -9 rating. In both losses, she played for more than half of the game while Tibbetts had 3 unused substitutes. The frustration has boiled up among them. There are even calls for Bonner to retire after the 2025 season. “DeWanna Bonner just retire, hot fucking garbage. I still don’t understand what happened,” wrote a fan. Well, Bonner’s recent performances have certainly indicated some major deficiencies.

At 38 years old and the CBA cycle ending this year, it will be difficult for Bonner to maintain pace with the youngsters for another season. However, she could opt to remain as a mentor while chipping in with some minutes now and then. That is a decision to be taken after the Finals, where the Mercury still fight.