WNBA Rumors: DeWanna Bonner's prolonged Fever absence fuels Phoenix Mercury reunion buzz

DeWanna Bonner and the Indiana Fever may be heading toward a midseason split. Bonner started well with her new team, but she has been out of the rotation recently. She started in her first three games before the Fever benched her in favor of Lexie Hull.

Since getting benched, Bonner has been out of the rotation due to "personal reasons." Indiana signed the former Connecticut Sun standout to a one-year contract. After she signed a contract with the Fever, her acquisition was considered one of the biggest for the franchise.

However, the veteran star reportedly has no interest in returning to play for the Fever. Bonner allegedly prefers to play for either the Atlanta Dream or the Phoenix Mercury.

WNBA reporter Annie Costabile talked about Bonner's situation on Tuesday.

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Bonner appeared in nine games for the Fever this season, averaging 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. She only had two games where she scored in double digits.

There are two options for the Fever regarding their future with Bonner.

If they choose to trade Bonner, both the Dream and Mercury don't have enough cap space to absorb her $200,000 contract. The Dream has $23,939 in salary space, while the Mercury has $88,103. Trading Bonner would mean the potential trade partner would add another player to match the salary.

The other option is to waive the two-time WNBA champion. However, this option isn't the ideal approach for the Fever since it won't benefit them. Indiana wouldn't have anyone in return if they do so.

While DeWanna Bonner is an experienced star in the league, she doesn't fit in with the Fever and their direction this season.

Fans reacted to DeWanna Bonner's future with the Fever

Fans were hoping to see DeWanna Bonner's time with the Fever flourish. However, she had a short-lived tenure in Indiana and wants to move on with her career playing for a different organization.

After the report about Bonner was released, fans revealed their thoughts.

"Translation: old player is throwing a tantrum because she’s washed," a fan said.

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"That woman is 37 yrs old & couldn’t figure that out before??? I love her but damn.." a fan commented.

"Fever wasted 200k smh. If she wanna go to the Mercury then they gotta send Satou 🤷🏿‍♂️" another comment read.

Other fans were disappointed about DeWanna Bonner's short time in Indiana.

"Thought she was gonna be solid for the team with her length and scoring pedigree," a comment read.

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"That seems like an extreme stance to take a handful of games into the new season. She was supposed to be a vet leader for them," another fan commented.

"Disappointing but I hope the Fever make a sound business decision and move on quickly," someone pointed out.

About the author

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline.

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec