Phoenix is no stranger to DeWanna Bonner. If any team was going to make room for the 37-year-old veteran in the middle of the season without any prior plans, it was the Mercury. For good reason, too, as Bonner and Mercury owe their success to each other. The Mercury drafted her with the fifth pick of the 2009 WNBA Draft, after which they won the WNBA title the same year.

As for Bonner, she came off the bench in her early years, winning WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year for three years until she moved to the starting lineup. She won the title in 2014 and has played the second-most games for the Mercury, only behind Diana Taurasi. Bonner is in the top 3 in almost every metric there is for the franchise. This was a comeback of a legend, and the city made sure that it was special.

Bonner did not start immediately in her first game for the Mercury. However, it was not long before she donned that Mercury jersey again as she entered the game after just 2 minutes and 52 seconds, and the near-sellout crowd of 10,083 stood up to applaud the legend. Bonner went on to play for 26 minutes, making an immediate impact with her 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

“She’s loved here by all the fans,” her fiancee, Alyssa Thomas, said after the game. “I’m happy for her to get such a warm welcome. As for us, it’s all about staying the course. The goal is to win a championship. It’s gonna be a game-by-game kind of thing.”

She was also spotted in attendance during the Mercury’s Monday night game against the Dallas Wings, receiving a warm welcome and a standing ovation from the crowd at the time, too. Bonner referred to Phoenix as her “home” after receiving love and support on her comeback. While her new team and its fans are firmly behind her, there is still bad blood with the Indiana Fever fans, as the allegations of quitting continue.

Fans Continue ‘Quitter’ Allegations On DeWanna Bonner After Phoenix Welcome

Bonner was one of the marquee free agent signings for the Indiana Fever. She was supposed to bring in the experience for a team filled with young stars like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. Her championship experience was set to elevate them from a first-round playoff team to a genuine contender. After an underwhelming start, in which the Fever went 4-5 in their first 9 games, Bonner went on a personal leave and asked for a trade to Phoenix. The situation unraveled since Bonner got her wish in the end, but she left a very welcoming Fever fandom, who are still critical of her behaviour.

“She’s gonna want to leave this team too in a few weeks?” Wrote one fan. The frustration is understandable. Bonner gave the Fever just 9 games and gave up on a very promising roster. Bonner was also reportedly not happy with a substitute role at the Fever after Lexie Hull emerged as a regular starter over her. She initially expected to be regular in the starting lineup, but only started 3 of the 9 games. But at 37 years old, can she demand a starter role at this stage of her career? In her 9 games, she was averaging 7.1 points,1.6 assists, and 4.0 rebounds, while Lexie Hull has averaged 8.3 points, 1.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while playing just 3 minutes more each game and being a better scorer from beyond the arc.

“She’ll want to be released when the Mercury bench her, too.” Wrote another fan. Even in her new team, she might not get many starts as the starting five is set and performing well, with Mercury being second in the standings with 14 wins, including the one over Minnesota, with Bonner coming off the bench. The difference here is that she is now reunited with her fiancé, too, so she might accept a secondary role to team up with Thomas. Bonner, however, seems committed to the team. “I don’t have to do anything extra. I was a little worried because they’re a team that has great chemistry already so that kind of went into my decision making process as well. But they reassured me that they wanted me here, they needed me here. Just gonna do what I normally do that’s got me through the 16 years,” she explained.

“Absolutely embarrassing… a slap in the face to the rules of competition… quit on a team just to join another… WNBA is an emotional WOKW basket case,” Wrote another fan. Bonner did not technically break the rules, but a player leaving a team in the middle of the season to join another seems a little against the spirit of fair play. It is in a grey area according to some, while some fans like this one view it as completely unethical. The Fever trusted Bonner to play her role, and it was in their game plan, and Bonner violated that trust, which has brought out such reactions. That emotional aspect refers to the fact that Bonner wanted to reunite with her partner no matter what the consequences, which was interpreted as a lack of professionalism.

“Gets an ovation for being an absolute child? Got it.” Wrote another fan. While how she handled the situation with her previous team might be seen as unethical, she is still a legend in the eyes of the Phoenix Mercury. They have seen her emerge from being a promising youngster to a mainstay, breaking numerous records on the way. From their perspective, Bonner did what it took for them. She wants to be at Mercury, where she is loved.

To Mercury fans, she’s not just a veteran returning; she’s family, a cornerstone of their championship past, and a symbol of resilience. The standing ovation from over 10,000 fans was more than nostalgia. It was a city reaffirming its bond with a legend. But her exit from Indiana reveals the double-edged nature of mid-season moves in professional sports. While within the rules, Bonner’s abrupt departure has left Fever fans feeling blindsided, questioning her commitment, and pointing to professionalism over sentiment. In their eyes, it wasn’t just a trade, it was abandonment.

Ultimately, Bonner’s legacy will likely depend on what comes next. If she helps the Mercury chase another title and accepts her role with grace, she may silence critics and cement her status as a generational talent who made one final push where her heart, and her history, truly belong.