DeWanna Bonner will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time since she was waived from the team in June — and Indiana Fever fans will certainly be on hand to usher her back in. There's little doubt her former teammates will be excited to see her, and hopefully that energy will extend to everyone in the arena Wednesday night.
Bonner signed to the team in February as part of a rush of good news that seemed guaranteed to markedly improve the Fever's season. Bonner entered 2025 free agency in demand; the 2-time WNBA champion was the fourth-highest leading scorer at the beginning of the year (she's since moved into third place) and capable of bringing significant value to any team in the league.
But things didn't pan out exactly the way the Fever and Bonner hoped they might. After a rollercoaster of an early season that also saw Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham injured twice, Bonner played a game for Indiana on June 10 and then never returned to the floor. The team noted she was out due to "personal reasons" but declined to elaborate; then, on June 25, the Fever announced Bonner had been waived from the team.
From there, the WNBA rumor mill began to work in overtime. Bonner's camp requested the rest of the league hold off on signing her off waivers, presumably because she wanted to go to the Mercury, where she won those champions and where fiancée Alyssa Thomas plays, or the Dream, because Atlanta is close to home (Bonner shares twin daughters with ex-wife and former Fever star Candice Dupree, who currently coaches in Nashville).
Bonner has since been thriving in Phoenix, and there's every indication the move was a good one for everyone involved — even Indiana. The team quickly brought back fan favorite Aari McDonald, who has consistently put in solid performances each night she's been called upon to do so (and trust: that's all of them).
But that doesn't mean the confusion surrounding Bonner's decision hasn't lingered, and there will be plenty of eyes on her when she returns to the court in Indianapolis Wednesday night. But if there's anyone who is built to either embrace the joy and positivity fans might express — or to rise above anything else — it's Bonner. This is her 16th season in the league, and she's seen just about everything that comes with that kind of lengthy career.
Like fans of most sports teams, Indiana's come with a reputation that includes positives and negatives. Hopefully, fans will embrace Bonner as someone who was part of the family, even if only briefly — and as the WNBA champion and beacon for the league that she is.