The Timeline of DeWanna Bonner's Short-Lived Indiana Fever Tenure
Given what happened between DeWanna Bonner and several players on the Indiana Fever roster (including Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham) on June 22, there has been a renewed interest in Bonner's brief tenure with the Indiana Fever last season—especially since Indiana and Phoenix are facing each other once more on June 24.
Therefore, now seems like a good time to revisit Bonner's tenure with the Fever, starting when she signed to when she joined the Mercury, in 2025.
DeWanna Bonner's Fever Exit Timeline Ahead of Mercury Rematch
February 6, 2025: Fever sign DeWanna Bonner in free agency
Bonner's Fever tenure began on February 6, when she officially joined the team in free agency.
Bonner's official statement upon this news breaking read, "I’m extremely thankful to be joining an organization that’s on the rise and committed to growing the sport of women’s basketball. I’m looking forward to coming in, sharing my leadership and knowledge, and doing my part to help get this team get back to its championship pedigree. But, more importantly, I’m excited to get to know everyone at the organization – the front office, teammates, behind-the-scenes employees and, of course, the fans! I can’t wait to see everyone at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in May.”
May 17, 2025: DeWanna Bonner among Fever stars included on Sports Illustrated cover
Everything appeared all well and good between Bonner and her Fever teammates through preseason training camp and up to the season's start. On May 15, she was featured alongside Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell on a Sports Illustrated cover.
In addition to this cover, there were several pieces of visual content that included these four joking around, which suggested the group of stars was already building cohesion and camaraderie.
“and what seasonings does you use” AB😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/0yMMtdmDFJ
— bri (@asexygangster_) May 15, 2025
May 17, 2025: DeWanna Bonner starts in Fever's opening day game
Bonner was in the Fever's starting lineup for their opening day game against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. She played 27 minutes and scored 7 points, and Indiana won 93-58.
May 24, 2025: DeWanna Bonner isn't in Fever starting lineup for first time
Bonner scored 0 points in 16 minutes in the Fever's second game of the 2025 season against the Atlanta Dream, then scored 1 point in 19 minutes in the Fever's third game, also against Atlanta.
Bonner wasn't in Indiana's starting lineup for their May 24 game against the New York Liberty (Indiana's fourth game of the season), marking the first time she'd come off the bench for the team. She played 23 minutes off the bench and scored 2 points.
June 10, 2025: DeWanna Bonner's last game with the Indiana Fever
Bonner was active in their June 10 contest against the Atlanta Dream, scoring 5 points in 20 minutes off the bench.
June 14, 2025: DeWanna Bonner away from Fever for "personal reasons"
Fast forward a few days, and Bonner wasn't with the Fever for their June 14 contest against the New York Liberty. The reason why was cited as "personal reasons".
June 24, 2025: Report about Bonner not wanting to return to Fever
10 days later, Annie Costabile (who then worked for Front Office Sports) reported that Bonner (who hadn't been with the team since June 10 had no interest in returning to the Fever, and was requesting a trade away from the franchise.
Bonner reportedly wanted to either join the Atlanta Dream or the Phoenix Mercury, the latter being where her fiancée, Alyssa Thomas, was playing.
June 25, 2025: Fever release DeWanna Bonner
One day later, Chloe Peterson of IndyStar broke the news that the Fever had released Bonner, as they were unable to find a trade partner for her. As a result, the Fever re-signed Aari McDonald.
Bonner made a statement in the wake of this announcement, saying, "I want to sincerely thank the Indiana Fever for the opportunity to be part of the Fever franchise. Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization's willingess to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career. I wish the Fever great success as they continue to build around this dynamic group of young players."
July 8, 2025: DeWanna Bonner signs with Phoenix Mercury
About two weeks later, Bonner signed with the Phoenix Mercury as a free agent. Bonner had spent 10 seasons with the Mercury and was able to reunite with Thomas.
There have been several exchanges on the court and comments made, both by Bonner and several Fever players, since her exit.
For the Fever players, how Bonner handled leaving the team—namely, that the aforementioned statement is all they heard from her about it—is what has frustrated them the most.
Both sides claim to have moved on by now, but their actions on the court suggest otherwise. This is one big reason why the Fever's June 24 showdown against Phoenix has a lot of added intrigue.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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