Fever vet is about to see her minutes explode

The continued absence of DeWanna Bonner and the questions that surrounded whether or not she will return is creating a bit of a situation for the Fever — but that doesn't mean that it's not also creating opportunities. Brianna Turner, who joined the team earlier this year as a free agent, is likely to see her minutes explode in the coming days.

Turner hasn't had the strongest season for the Fever so far. She's averaging 3.7 minutes, 0.5 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 10 games played. But without Bonner on the floor, and with Damiris Dantas out for AmeriCup June 28-July 6, the team will likely turn to Turner to fill the gaps.

DeWanna Bonner's status is unclear

Bonner hasn't played with the Fever since June 12, and the while speaking to reporters on June 22 head coach Stephanie White only said Bonner is "doing well" and there is "no timeline" for her return to the team. In the meantime, fans have openly speculated she might have asked for a trade or already departed the team, rumors that were exacerbated by her social media behavior and a tweet that seems to indicate the Fever has removed Bonner's banner from Gainbridge Fieldhouse (a second fan commented that Bonner's banner was up in other videos posted, but did not offer evidence).

The biggest mystery surrounding Bonner's prolonged absence is that there's no clear indication as to what might be going on — from anyone. Bonner has appeared to remove several Fever-related posts from her Instagram feed (all but one from the night she became the WNBA's third-highest all-time scorer).

Dantas has stepped in to fill in the role left by Bonner's departure, which has given her the opportunity spend more time on the court with Caitlin Clark. The pair were both on the Fever last year, but didn't share a lot of clock.

Brianna Turner has an opportunity to stand up for her team

Between Bonner and Dantas being gone, Turner has an opportunity to stand up and show out for the Fever in a moment when the team needs her to. The team added Turner in mid-February of this year, a move that brought her to the Fever after she spent the 2024 season with the Sky.

Turner was drafted as the No. 11 overall pick by the Atlanta Dream in 2019 and was soon traded to the Mercury, where she spent five seasons. In 2019 she was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team after averaging 6.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks over 14 games.