You bet DeWanna Bonner’s Indiana stint was shorter than a Midwest spring, and at this point, the backlash might outlast her minutes on Indy’s court. It was just February when Amber Cox rolled out the red carpet for the 2x champion. She called her “one of the greatest players in the history of our league,” a do-it-all scorer, a leader, a legend, and what not. However, just a few games into the season and that hype had aged like unrefrigerated milk. The Fever benched Bonner after just three games. She averaged 7.1 points on 34.5% shooting across nine appearances, and quietly stepped away mid-season for “personal reasons.”

Two weeks later, the real reason surfaced: she wanted out. Eventually, the Fever waived Bonner on June 25. Safe to say, fans weren’t thrilled. Their dream of veteran pillars like Bonner and Natasha Howard guiding Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston had collapsed before it even found footing.

Enter Aari McDonald. The Fever first signed her on an emergency hardship deal after Clark went down with a quad injury. McDonald had just days to prove she belonged. Turns out, she only needed one. In her Fever debut against the Mystics, she made an immediate impact, helping snap a losing streak. By rule, her initial stay was brief, as hardship rules don’t leave much wiggle room.

However, DeWanna Bonner’s exit ended up opening the door for good. The Fever brought McDonald back, and by her second game, she was already in the starting five. That’s how seamless the fit was. “Aari’s a point guard. She’s got a point guard mentality,” head coach Stephanie White said. “She came in knowing more than half of our offensive sets.” 

As the Fever slowly pieced their chemistry back together, Bonner found her way back to familiar ground in Phoenix. “I think my journey is my journey, and I’m going to accept that,” she said. “It carried me to where I am now in Phoenix, and it happened that way for a reason.” White took the high road too: “I’m glad that she’s happy, and I’m glad that she’s found her spot.” But what looked like a feel-good reunion has taken a sharp turn after last night.

As DeWanna Bonner checked in against her former team, Chloe Peterson reported: “Some boos as DeWanna Bonner checks into the game for the first time, and as she draws a foul on Natasha Howard.” Turns out, Indiana fans haven’t quite hit the “forgiveness” chapter in Enright’s model yet. And the backlash didn’t stop at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It spilled online, with stats and observations this time. Here’s a glimpse of what fans had to say…

No Closure for DeWanna Bonner

It all started with a tweet from a Fever fan that read: “Messing up the chemistry worse than Jesse Pinkman.” The comment came under side-by-side shots of DeWanna Bonner paired with the damning numbers: “Phoenix before Bonner: 13–6, Phoenix after Bonner: 3–4,” it read. It was a wild pun, no doubt. With Jesse Pinkman’s legendary lack of chemistry skills in Breaking Bad, and DeWanna Bonner’s visibly limited on-court chemistry with her new Mercury teammates, the analogy stuck hard.

Comments poured in: “You def have a way with analogies. 😆” Another added, “That is a Dennis Miller-level reference. Kudos.” Fans loved the tweet. But clever wordplay wasn’t enough to scrub away the heat Bonner was catching. Although, a few supporters tried to look on the bright side, “Better Mercury than Indy,” others weren’t so kind. One fan even dubbed her “DeQuit Bonner” and declared that she was “someone else’s problem now.”

The real concern is that Phoenix might actually have a problem. Since rejoining Phoenix, Bonner is averaging just 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 24.7 minutes across 7 games. That’s up from her career-low numbers with Indiana earlier this season (7.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.6 APG). However, she’s still far below her career averages of 14.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. However, some people were actually more worried about the ripple effects than Bonner herself.

Comments started rolling in about Kathryn Westbeld, Kitija Laksa, and Natasha Mack: “Not many will lose sleep on this. I just feel sorry for Westbeld and Mack for their reduced playing time after they signed Bonner.” Another person said, “And Laksa is getting less playing time. They were winning with her playing more minutes.” And they weren’t wrong. Kitija Laksa’s average minutes nosedived from 23.5 to just 16.7 once Bonner suited up. Meanwhile, Mack and Westbeld have managed to hold onto roughly similar playing time.

While most people centered on Indiana and Phoenix, a few fans zoomed out. They focused on a much bigger issue. “Shawty 37. It’s time to push the old ladies out the league. No reason I have to wait 2 more years to see JuJu. Should be one-and-done in women’s basketball. Push competition.” Another person said, “Sometimes the legends just need to fade away. The game has passed them by.” One take was loud, the other more measured, but both touched on the same truth: the WNBA has a roster problem.

With just 13 teams and rosters capped at 12 players (often trimmed to 11 because of salary cap constraints), that leaves the league with roughly 156 total spots. Add vets who aren’t producing to that mix and fans are starting to speak up.

No doubt, Bonner’s age and production are drawing heat, but not everyone’s ready to write her off just yet. One fan argued: “Yet they beat the best team in the league with DB lol.” Only issue here is that league’s “best team” is the Lynx, and Phoenix lost to them 79–66. So, maybe not the best example. That said, there have been flashes. In the Mercury’s win over the Valkyries, Bonner dropped 22 points and looked every bit the veteran scorer. And in their win against the Mystics, she did her part at the line, going 2-for-2 on free throws to help close things out.

So whether DeWanna Bonner still belongs in the league? That’s a decision for front offices to wrestle with. As for us, we’ll keep tracking the storylines, the stat swings, and the sparks. Stay tuned.