Ever since Caitlin Clark returned from her quadriceps injury, there’s been no looking back for the Indiana Fever. First, she helped the team hand the New York Liberty their first loss of the season in a thrilling 102–88 statement win. Then they punched their ticket to the Commissioner’s Cup final with a dominant 88–71 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.

And what a game that was! A fiery clash that saw two Flagrant 1 fouls and six technical fouls—all in one night. But all that intensity and drama will be on hold until July 16, when the Fever face the Sun for the third time this season. In the meantime, there’s a bigger task at hand for Stephanie White and her squad: keeping the momentum alive as they head to San Francisco to face the Golden State Valkyries and attempt to stretch their winning streak to three games. But the question remains, can they pull it off with a key piece missing from their puzzle?

DeWanna Bonner’s absence remains a concern for the Indiana Fever

It all started when veteran forward DeWanna Bonner was noticeably absent from the Indiana Fever’s latest post, which showed players arriving for their flight. According to the latest update, Bonner did not make the trip to Golden State and is expected to remain out. While the veteran isn’t dealing with an injury, she’s now set to miss her third consecutive game due to personal reasons, which, as of now, remain undisclosed.

Well, the last update we received came from Fever HC Stephanie White, who shared: “I think she’s doing as well as she can be right now,” White said. “We’re going to continue to support her and give her the time that she needs. I don’t anticipate her being here (Saturday), and just with her right now, it’s supporting her and giving her what she needs.”

That’s the kind of support you’d expect for a two-time WNBA champion, even if Bonner is currently posting career lows across the board—averaging just 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Although her numbers may not be ground-breaking, her impact on and off the court is undeniable. The veteran has more than 500 WNBA games under her belt, ranking third in the all-time appearance chart. It’s a testament to her longevity, experience, and mental fortitude.

So yes, missing her could leave a defensive gap for the Fever. But no worries, Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Natasha Howard, and others have already shown they can step up in her absence. And truth be told, it might be a bit easier this time around, considering the opposing team is also dealing with major roster holes of their own.

Valkyries are coming up with the exit of three players at the worst possible time against the Fever! 

So here’s the injury report for both teams:

Indiana Fever

• DeWanna Bonner (personal treasons)

Golden State Valkyries

• Tami Fegbenle
• Cecilia Zandalasini
• Janelle Salaun, all three of the Valkyries players are out to participate in the EuroBasket tournament.

So, what would GSV’s roster look like in their absence?

Fever vs. GSV’s possible lineup

Here’s how the GSV, with an incomplete roster, matches up against the Indiana Fever.

Indiana Fever

• Caitlin Clark
• Lexie Hull
• Kelsey Mitchell
• Natasha Howard
• Aliyah Boston

Golden State Valkyries

• Veronica Burton
• Carla Leite
• Stephenie Talbot
• Kayla Thornton
• Monique Billings

But the real question now is….

Is this GSV side strong enough to take on the power-packed squad of the Fever?

The newest expansion team in the W, the Valkyries, are heading into this game after a concerning 71–80 loss to the league’s bottom-ranked team, the Dallas Wings. And it happened despite Monique Billings delivering a solid 17-point performance. Still, the Valkyries attempted 15 fewer shots than the Wings and, even though they shot a respectable 40.7% from the field, they couldn’t close the gap.

But that wasn’t the only issue. The Valkyries committed five more turnovers and were out-rebounded 28–39 by Dallas—factors that can very much hurt them down the stretch. That said, the loss was somewhat understandable, considering three of their players were unavailable due to EuroBasket duties.

The Valkyries knew this was coming and made roster additions to manage the situation. So while they’ve embraced the reality of international responsibilities, the Indiana Fever might not be as forgiving. Simply put, Caitlin Clark and the Fever are likely to hand the Valkyries their second consecutive loss.

Especially since the Fever are riding the momentum of an 18-point win over the Connecticut Sun, where Clark led the charge with 20 points. And with every win acting as a game-changer in improving their playoff standing, it doesn’t look like Clark and company are ready to let anyone steal the spotlight. Even ESPN predicts a Fever win with a 62% probability. So yeah, you know what’s coming.