DeWanna Bonner future completely up-in-the-air as speculations runs rampant

DeWanna Bonner was signed to the Fever earlier this year to much fanfare and excitement. Bonner is an elite athlete, a 2-time WNBA Champion, and 6-time WNBA All-Star, and she filled a gap the Fever desperately needed. Bonner has proven to be an invaluable member of the team and a leader who has been able to provide a lot of guidance to a pretty young team — but she's been missing in action since June 12.

The official reason given for Bonner's prolonged absence is "personal reasons." That's a phrase that's vague and not easily deciphered, and it the possibilities are endless. At the end of the day, Bonner and the Fever don't owe anyone a detailed explanation — but fans are going to do what they're going to do, and there has understandably been a lot of speculation about what might be going on.

Bonner missed her fourth game in a row after she didn't play against the Aces, and her absence keeps the Fever at 10 players, meaning the team can't bring someone on to the squad on a hardship contract. While speaking to reporters on June 21, Coach White said Bonner is "doing well" but reiterated there is "no timeline" for her return.

White also noted the Fever only wants to support Bonner through whatever is going on behind the scenes. "Again, no timeline. I think it's day-to-day, and for us to make sure that we're continuing to be supportive of DB in her time away," she explained.

The Fever may end up signing another player in the meantime

While the Fever can't bring on a hardship contract player yet, if Bonner doesn't return soon, the team will be down to 9 players when Damiris Dantas departs to represent Brazil in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament later this month. Dantas will miss five games between June 26 and July 8.

The Fever could also hold out until EuroBasket ends at the beginning of July and keep an eye on players that other teams will and will not retain. The Valkyries in particular have picked up a handful of players (including Bree Hall, who the Fever originally drafted as the 20th overall pick this year) who will likely exit the team after the conclusion of the FIBA tournament — and who could contribute to the Fever in the event that both Bonner and Dantas are absent.

Hopefully more light will be shed on when fans expect to see Bonner on the floor again, or what her plans might be (some rumors include that she wants to be traded to Phoenix, where her partner Alyssa Thomas plays, or she could be considering retirement). Until then, the Fever have games to get through, and that's what most of the collective focus should be on.