INDIANAPOLIS – A thick sense of anticipation filled the air in Gainbridge Fieldhouse Wednesday before the Phoenix Mercury took the court to face the Indiana Fever. The game marked the return of DeWanna Bonner, who spent the first nine games of the season with the Fever before splitting with the club because the “fit did not work,” she said.
It soon became clear Fever fans had turned on Bonner, relentlessly booing her throughout the game.
“I just don’t understand,” Mercury guard Kahleah Copper said after the 107-101 loss. “She’s a legend. All the things she’s done for the league, and just the disrespect. I can’t get down with it. She didn’t say a word to the crowd. People talked some trash to her, but we had her back.
“It’s just very distasteful what their fanbase is doing when it comes to DB. She’s just the sweetest soul. The situation didn’t work for her. It just wasn’t what she wanted or whatever. But we don’t need all of that. It’s just unnecessary.”
The booing was constant from a fanbase that has supported its team at a historic rate the last two seasons and led the league in attendance in 2024.
DeWanna Bonner checks in to the game to a chorus of boos from the Indiana Fever crowd. #WNBA@sportscronkite pic.twitter.com/J2lu50JbpX
— Dorian Waller (@dorianwaller02) July 30, 2025
The Fever waived Bonner, 37, after failing to find a suitable trade partner for the six-time All-Star. Bonner subsequently signed with the Mercury on July 8.
She finished with four points on 1-of-4 shooting from the field. While Bonner did not interact with the crowd, teammates Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally were seen speaking and gesturing to fans briefly when Bonner initially checked into the game.
“I thought she handled it fine,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. “That’s kind of how sports work. You go into a former home of yours, and typically when you don’t leave on your terms, the fans aren’t going to be happy. And that’s what they did tonight.”
Fever coach Stephanie White said she did not pay attention to the response Bonner received from fans.
“I don’t know anything about the reception,” White said. “ I don’t hear anything once I’m out on the floor. At the end of the day, basketball is basketball and relationships are relationships.
“DB is one of my all-time favorites. She has been from afar for a long time, and then working with her for a number of years. She still is, and I care about DB as a person. … I’m happy she found a good landing spot. It’s a special spot where she started her career, so I’m happy for her.”
Fever center Aliyah Boston shrugged off the reaction.
“Honestly, that ain’t got nothing to do with me,” Boston said. “I think DB returned because we were playing Phoenix. The fans chose to do what they wanted to do.”
Lost in the shuffle of Bonner’s return was Thomas’ career night. She finished with 32 points, setting a career-high, and recorded 15 rebounds and seven assists. Copper followed with 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.
The Mercury recorded their second-highest turnover total in Wednesday’s loss, finishing with 17. Thomas had eight of those.
“I think for us, we talked about slowing down and not letting them rush us or force us into anything we don’t want to do,” Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb said. “Being a little more intentional with getting open and all that.”
The Mercury have lost four of their last five games despite putting fully healthy players on the court for a big portion of that stretch. They play in Atlanta Friday to face Brittney Griner and the Dream.
Now they must figure out a way to regroup.
“Just us all getting back on the court together, understanding our spots, everyone’s spots, where we like to play. So just kind of working through that,” Copper said. “We have to lock in and just be a little bit more focused on the little things. Handling the physicality and still being able to play our basketball.”
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