It was a breakup that was swift, painless, and left no remnants of ill feelings. Yet, even four months later, it has managed to keep the community equally intrigued. Yes, we’re talking about DeWanna Bonner, who quickly wrapped up her nine-game stint with the Indiana Fever to move to greener pastures in late June—or the Phoenix Mercury in this case, with whom she gets a chance to chase a third championship. While official reasons for her departure stated “fit” issues back then, no one expected the revelations Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts was about to make.

Ahead of Game 1 of the Finals, Coach Tibbetts spoke about Bonner, saying, “Luckily, 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. I think Alyssa Thomas helped in that a little bit. So yeah, I mean, just wanting her to end her run…I mean, what a story for her to come back after playing here for 10 years. And you never know for sure how it’s going to work, right?”

And Tibbetts isn’t lying.

Bonner, as expected, has gone above and beyond in this year’s playoffs. Averaging 7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals, she’s made sure her name stays in the conversation. And not just that, the veteran has even four playoff games where she scored 10 or more points.  During Game 1 of the New York Liberty series, a 76-69 overtime loss, Bonner flourished with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals. Then, during Game 2, she proved her point again with 14 points, sealing the 86-60 win with eight rebounds, one assist and two steals.

Her next double-digit points show came in Game 4 vs the Minnesota Lynx. Scoring 13 points, six rebounds, two blocks, one steal and assists each, that game was undoubtedly her best against the team. In the Finals though, she’s somewhat struggled. In Game 1 vs the Las Vegas Aces, Bonner scored 10 points, eight rebounds, one steal and no assists, and evidently struggled with her shooting efficiency. She shot 4-for-13 from the field, 2-for-7 from deep and had a team worst -12. But that’s even the worst part…

It’s Thomas’ involvement in getting Bonner to the Phoenix. Notably, the duo has been dating her since the 2020 “bubble” season—both were playing for the Connecticut Sun at the time—and even got engaged in July 2023. So, if there’s any weight behind the HC’s words, it definitely means some kind of “collusion” as some fans pointed out.

Nate Tibbetts’ DeWanna Bonner Revelation Sparks Fan Fury

Fever fans were clearly unhappy with the turn of events. One fan tweeted, “This should be investigated,” while another chimed in with, “Admitting collusion by @PhoenixMercury to get DeQuitter with her gf. The @WNBA should give the Fever their 1st round pick at minimum.”

When Bonner joined Indiana this season, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo even called it the move that made the Fever a legitimate title contender. “It’s just exciting times,” Caitlin Clark added. But that excitement didn’t last long. Just four games into the season, Bonner found herself on the bench, and out of nine appearances, she started only three.

It was June 12 when Fever fans last saw Bonner in action. She had completely disappeared, citing personal reasons. While the specifics behind those personal reasons soon emerged, the breakup between the Fever and DeWanna Bonner was an ugly one, and it’s no surprise that fans were rattled. One angry fan wrote, “Sounds like Phoenix needs to be investigated for unauthorized agreements/tampering. Players, coach, and franchise should each be fined or face restrictions of some kind.”

Now, the same fan doubled down by posting a screenshot of the WNBA rulebook, which clearly states that unauthorized agreements between a player and a team are strictly prohibited, with fines that could go up to $1 million for violations. But here’s the question–do the Mercury really deserve that kind of penalty? Was this even collusion to begin with? After all, Alyssa Thomas is Bonner’s fiancée, and what Tibbetts likely meant was that DeWanna Bonner simply chose to finish her career playing alongside her partner. Given that Bonner has been in the league since 2009, this could very well be her last season. So in reality, there doesn’t appear to be any unauthorized agreement at play.

Fans didn’t stop there. The frustration kept pouring in, and much of it was directed squarely at Bonner herself. One fan even went as far as calling her a quitter: “What Bonner did to the Fever was criminal. However, the Mercury getting an aged-out player who can barely shoot anymore and runs like she is on stilts—that’s karma. No matter what Bonner has or will accomplish, she will always be known as a quitter.” 

We’re not here to argue about karma, but Bonner’s numbers have definitely dipped. She’s gone from 15 a game to 10.9 this season with the Mercury, and that’s expected at 38. Still, she’s been a solid piece off the bench, giving Phoenix experience and stability. Some fans might say her exit from the Fever hurts her legacy, but that just doesn’t add up. We’re talking about a 2x WNBA champ, 6x All-Star, and the third all-time scorer in league history. No matter what, Bonner’s going down as one of the best to ever do it.

That still didn’t stop Fever fans from spinning their own theories. One even wrote, “Weird how if they wanted her so bad that they didn’t get her at the beginning of the season. Oh wait they couldn’t afford her max contract, hmmm let’s concoct a plan that nobody will care because everyone already hates the Fever”

A fan theory that actually makes sense…at least if you’re a Fever fan. The Mercury couldn’t afford Bonner’s $200,000  contract early in the season, which meant she had to stick around in Indiana until Phoenix had the flexibility to bring her in. She signed a rest-of-season deal worth $78,831 with the Mercury. So, was there some shady business going on? Honestly, Bonner could’ve joined Phoenix from the start alongside Thomas, but she didn’t. Maybe it really did come down to the numbers and the contract.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below!