The Indiana Fever’s roster remodel received a significant boost Sunday as the team agreed to terms with free agent DeWanna Bonner on a one-year deal, per multiple reports.
Bonner, 37, is a six-time WNBA All-Star and has been part of two WNBA title teams, first with the Phoenix Mercury in 2009 and later with the Mercury in 2014.
Her playoff experience will be invaluable for a roster featuring star youngsters Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners. Bonner is the latest offseason move for a Fever team positioning itself for a deep postseason run. Indiana re-signed Kelsey Mitchell, traded for Sophie Cunningham and signed two-time All-Star Natasha Howard.
Clark, ahead of her jersey retirement at Iowa on Sunday, spoke about her elation to the Fever’s latest trades.
“I’m excited,” Clark said with a smile on her face. “Obviously we made some great moves. (Team president) Kelly (Krauskopf) and (general manager) Amber (Cox) and the whole Fever organization are wanting to help us win now and I think that’s really important. They’re putting really good pieces together that are going to compliment each other really, really well. And obviously (Stephanie White) taking over as head coach for us is going to be really great.”
Caitlin Clark talks about her excitement for the Fever’s moves this offseason. pic.twitter.com/JX5suZAIBx
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) February 2, 2025
Bonner, who averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds per game last season with the Connecticut Sun, will reunite with White, who left the Sun to coach the Fever in December. ESPN first reported news of Bonner’s deal.
With Bonner’s departure, all five starters for the Sun have now left the team after Connecticut’s 28-12 season. The team made the playoffs four straight seasons, including a run to the finals in 2022, but retooled for a rebuild this offseason by trading Alyssa Thomas, DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris, and letting Brionna Jones and Bonner sign with other teams.
Bonner gives Fever chance to compete for title
Although this will only be Clark’s second WNBA season and Boston’s third, the signings of Bonner and Howard emphasizes the franchise’s desire to compete not just in the long-term, but right away.
Bonner is among the WNBA’s most versatile wings. At 6-foot-4, she provides Indiana with a defender capable of guarding different types of players, and it’s easy to foresee the Fever mixing and matching lineups with her on offense. They could play bigger with Clark, Mitchell, Bonner, Howard and Boston, or slide Bonner to the power forward spot and go with either Lexie Hull or Cunningham in on the wing. Bonner shot only 29.4 percent from 3 last season, and hasn’t shot above 33 percent from 3-point range since 2011, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see teams sag off of her when faced with pick-your-poison dilemmas. Still, adding the six-time All-Star is an undoubtedly major pickup.
She not only has familiarity with White, Indiana’s new coach, but also a number of other members of the organization. Indiana also hired former Sun player development coach Keith Porter and Sun assistant coach Austin Kelly this offseason. Cox overlapped with Bonner early in the veteran’s career when both were with the Mercury. In deciding to join the Fever, Bonner seemingly chose not to join Thomas, her fiancèe, in Phoenix, but in doing so she likely also gave herself a better chance at a title in 2025.
The Fever haven’t won a WNBA title since 2012 — and they still haven’t had a winning record since 2015 — but they’ve catapulted themselves back into contention after a busy offseason with moves that repeatedly signaled a desire to compete. — Ben Pickman, WNBA staff writer
Sun head into true rebuilding mode
It is officially the end of an era in Connecticut. All five of its primary starters from last season have left the Sun via free agency or trades. Bonner’s exit came as no surprise after the Sun’s exodus began earlier this week, but it merely reinforced that the organization is about to undergo a period of transition.
First-year coach Rachid Meziane and first-year general manager Morgan Tuck will be tasked with charting the franchise’s new direction. And as we wrote on Saturday after the Sun traded Carrington to the Wings, the Sun should look to have this be at least a two-year rebuild because their cumulative record from the 2024 and 2025 season might not be bad enough to net them top lottery odds (they won 28 games last year). — Pickman
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(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
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