Mercury Coach on DeWanna Bonner Boos from Fever Fans: 'That’s Kinda How Sports Works'

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts spoke out on the dissenting views around Indiana Fever fans booing Dewanna Bonner.

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts talks with forward DeWanna Bonner (14) during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx at PHX Arena on July 9, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Phoenix Mercury wing DeWanna Bonner checked into the game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Wednesday, it was no surprise that she was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd––something Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts wasn't surprised by.

“Yeah that’s kinda how sports works,” Tibbetts said in the post game interview. “You go into a former home of yours and typically, you don’t leave on your terms, fans aren’t going to be happy, and yeah, that’s what they did tonight.”

Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts on how DeWanna Bonner handled the boos in her return to Indiana and Alyssa Thomas engaging with the crowd.#WNBA pic.twitter.com/Q9SyoZiMHO

— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) July 31, 2025

Bonner, who was Indiana’s marquee signing in the 2025 WNBA offseason, played nine games with the team before sitting out for personal reasons and leaving fans in the dark as to her sudden absence––especially in a time when the Fever were riddled with injuries and were forced to rely on hardship contracts to stay afloat.

Jul 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts pulls up his sleeves during the first quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

So when Bonner released a statement that she had decided to move on from the team, not seeing it as a fit––and then only to land on a contending team––it left many Indiana fans feeling abandoned.

DeWanna Bonner Boos Were to Be Expected

The booing in Indiana has sparked a lot of polarizing feelings, especially after Bonner’s teammate Kahleah Copper called the incident “very distasteful” of the fans in the arena.

Here's a full clip on what Kahleah Copper had to say about DeWanna Bonner's return to Indianapolis tonight and how the fans treated her #WNBA https://t.co/Nbj13qPWLk pic.twitter.com/crYW2CGez5

— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) July 31, 2025

But Indystar reporter Chloe Peterson explained how the reactions were par for the course when she said, “I think back to LeBron James getting booed when he went back to Cleveland…I don’t think it was something unexpected, probably from DeWanna Bonner's camp… Fans are going to have opinions.

@chloepeterson67 explaining how opposing sports fans react and giving a good explanation (aka sports 101) to those who may not watch other sports and see how opposing sports fans respond. pic.twitter.com/sO6YrzGNon

— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) July 31, 2025

In the end, the reaction wasn’t just about Bonner switching teams—it was about timing, transparency, and the emotional investment Indiana fans poured into a season defined by adversity. The boos may have been loud, but they were also layered, and let’s face it, in sports that passion doesn't always sound polite.