Sophie Cunningham Reveals DeWanna Bonner Ghosted Fever Teammates Amid Indiana Exit
WNBA legend DeWanna Bonner was the Fever’s marquee signing of the 2025 offseason, with fans across the country embracing her as their veteran presence and a key member poised to elevate Indiana’s championship hopes.
Breaking: 6x-time All-Star and WNBA champ DeWanna Bonner is signing with the Indiana Fever, sources told ESPN
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) February 2, 2025
By re-signing Kelsey Mitchell, trading for Sophie Cunningham, and signing experienced vets Bonner & Natasha Howard, the Fever have catapulted into the title conversation pic.twitter.com/5jCFMLYrH1
So when Bonner suddenly stepped away from the court for “personal reasons" for five games after playing just nine games with the team, many fans felt worried for what could be the issue. That worry turned to betrayal for many when Bonner eventually released a statement after Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile broke the news that sources around the league were saying the forward had "no intention" of returning to Indiana.
Bonner’s statement read: “Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization’s willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career,” and a trade request had been made.
Bonner was eventually waived and unsurprisingly landed with the Phoenix Mercury.
DeWanna Bonner’s statement as she leaves the #Fever:
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 25, 2025
“… Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization’s willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career. …” pic.twitter.com/Tc76DUfwL7
Sophie Cunningham Feels DeWanna Bonner Could Have Been More 'Professional' in Her Exit
Not much has been revealed from the behind-the-scenes communications, but in a August 5 episode of the Show Me Something podcast, Fever star Sophie Cunningham pulled back the curtain on how some of it played out.
“I like [DeWanna Bonner]...she’s a hall-of-famer, she’s a hell of a basketball player,” Cunningham told her co-host West Wilson. “But she got to Indiana and she really wasn’t happy. And like I want people to be happy, so that’s why I’m kinda like neutral on this one.”
West later asked Cunningham if there was an explanation from Bonner after it happened, which he himself stated on camera saying, “No? Not even privately?” with the assumption that West was relaying what Cunningham conveyed back to him.
“That’s tough,” West replied.
“I’m still rooting for her, like I want her to end her career and be happy,” Cunningham went on. “But I also think that like it’s ok to be professional about it and like send a text to your teammates…like ‘sorry this didn’t work out, good luck…' you know what I mean? There’s a way to handle that.”
Sophie giving some insight into the way Dewanna Bonner left the fever
— no⁴⁴ 🏳️🌈 (@worldchamp44) August 5, 2025
"not even privately?" (quote by the guy)
"send a text [...] there's a way to handle that" (Sophie) pic.twitter.com/7nJWcDVgDW
Bonner's reception upon her return to Indiana then became a story, with fans expressing displeasure about the circumstances surrounding her departure.
Fortunately for the Fever, the entire Bonner ordeal worked out in their favor. The front office used her exit to shore up the roster—and Indiana has been rolling ever since.
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Rosalina Lee is one of the premiere content creators in the women’s basketball space. She has written for such companies as Red Bull Sports and has teamed up with notable brands such as Madison Square Garden, going behind the scenes with the New York Knicks and Rangers. She is currently offering analysis and fresh takes into the world of women’s basketball on her YouTube channel, and now with Indiana Fever On SI and Women's Fastbreak On SI, keeping fans in the loop with all the latest action!
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