Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen bridges burn between DeWanna Bonner and the Indiana Fever in real-time! Originally brought into the team for her championship experience and guidance, but the situation ended up going south really quickly. “She expressed that it didn’t feel like a good fit for her,” GM Amber Cox said in a recent presser. “We tried different lineups and had conversations, but ultimately we agreed it was best to part ways.” And part ways they did!

The iceberg underneath Bonner’s unexplained absences is only growing larger and larger by the day. At first, it seemed like a relatively amicable split, but with DB’s latest IG post? There definitely seems to be some shade being thrown by the WNBA vet. “Let’s just make sure the apologies, are just as loud as the disrespect!” She wrote. Does that seem like a friendly parting of ways to you guys?

Many theories are circling DeWanna Bonner’s unique conundrum. Some say she’s nearing retirement, while others allege major locker room trouble between her, CC, and Hull. However, according to analyst Rachel DeMita, it might have been an issue based on respect and playing time.

On the Courtside Club, DeMita broke down the situation brick by brick. When talking about potential reasons for Bonner’s departure, RAD brought up how Lexie “MRS STEAL YO JOB” Hull’s entry into the starting lineup may have had a massive impact on DB. “At the beginning of the season, DB was in the starting lineup. She wasn’t playing her best, and Lexie Hull has been playing great. She has made a huge leap from last season to this season. And so she went into that starting lineup at the 3 position, and then DB was coming off the bench.” Regardless of the close relationship between Stephanie White and DeWanna Bonner, it was an easy call for the Indy HC to make. On the flip side, it’s a less-than-ideal situation for DB. After all, the third-highest scorer in the history of the W shouldn’t be coming off the bench!

Bonner’s controversial exit has drawn eyeballs to the Indiana Fever’s front office. There’s a microscope over everything that Amber Cox and Kelly Krauskopf plan on doing, and there are questions aplenty. This is because DB, in her 15-year-long career, has never caused any major issues or controversy in the past. So naturally, fans are skeptical of the Fever locker room and front office.

There’s no doubt Indiana could’ve handled this situation better, and DeMita agreed! “I feel like this was mishandled. It became more dramatic than it needed to be because they were not transparent with what was actually going on.” She said. After all, if there was no bad blood underneath this split, a little bit of transparency would’ve gone a long way!

But the facts are the facts–DeWanna Bonner is out, and Aari McDonald is in. However, that does not patch the gaping hole in the Fever frontcourt. So what exactly is Stephanie White planning for the future? Let’s find out!

After DeWanna Bonner’s departure, Stephanie White is hunting for someone who is “different.”

We all remember when Stephanie White and DeWanna Bonner were sitting together for her introductory presser. Literal chills were running down the arms of Fever fans, and for good reason, too! After all, the addition of DB to an already blossoming Indiana Fever meant that Caitlin Clark would have a strong vet presence that could show her the blueprint to success.

However, with everything that has happened over the last two weeks, it’s safe to say that this decision didn’t pan out as expected! So, now that we live in a world in which DeWanna Bonner has left the Fever, where does the team go next? According to head coach Stephanie White, they go onwards and upwards!

Ahead of the Indiana vs Los Angeles game on Thursday, White discussed the idea behind any potential roster updates this season. “I hope that we can get somebody who can impact our team. Somebody who can impact our team in whatever way it is that we need at that moment. Somebody who can fit into what we do at both ends of the floor,” She said.

And doesn’t everyone want an impactful player? But Steph also has a very unique criterion for whoever they bring in next. “Once you get into a situation where you’re end of season or hunting playoffs into playoffs, you want to be able to give teams different looks. So, someone who can be a little bit different than what we have.” Which would make for quite an interesting end result!

Indiana is a team that hits the ground running. Their ‘pace and space’ strategies rely on elite perimeter shooting and some support in the paint. However, if an iso bucket-getter wore Fever colors during this year’s playoffs, teams wouldn’t know what exactly to expect! It will be interesting to see who White and Amber Cox end up deciding on. They have about $119,000 in cap space and a sea of talent to hunt from. Stay tuned for all the latest updates!