“I just wanted to be another puzzle piece into what they had,” DeWanna Bonner said after joining Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. But that hopeful chapter didn’t stick. Just four months in, Bonner and the Fever officially split on Wednesday. Once waived, the league’s 48-hour claim window swung open, but insiders whispered a different story. Sources say Bonner had already made it clear she wanted to reunite with the Phoenix Mercury. On paper, the Mercury snagging a two-time world champ should be a layup. But beneath the surface, unrest brews inside that locker room.
A two-time WNBA champ, DeWanna Bonner was pegged to be the linchpin in Indiana’s climb back to title relevance alongside Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. Instead, she is now waved. But here’s the wrinkle: while Bonner wants Phoenix, money is a big issue. Because any team that would claim her outright would need $200,000 in clean cap space to absorb her deal. And if no one bites, she will hit the unrestricted free agency. Only then, the Mercury, sitting on $88,103 in cap room, could scoop her up at the veteran minimum of $78,831 without any pressure. But there’s another catch. And it’s one that should give Mercury execs heartburn. Sports analyst Rachel Annamarie DeMita just put her stamp on it.
On her recent YouTube video, she said, “The Mercury are doing great this season. They are actually third in the standings, and they would have to cut somebody in order to pick up DeWanna Bonner. ” Now this is the harsh truth. Now, let me remind you, one of the main reasons Bonner split with the Fever was frustration over her bench role. And now, if Phoenix brings this six-time WNBA All-Star into the mix, someone’s getting the boot. Even worse, it could rattle a starting lineup that’s been quietly overachieving all season. But she didn’t stop there.
Credit: @indianafever/ Instagram
Rachel also spotlighted a line from a Front Office Sports article, which said, “Phoenix would need to cut one player to stay under the WNBA’s league-mandated 12-player roster maximum. Sources have indicated that the Mercury signing Bonner is not set in stone, given the potential it has to disrupt a strong dynamic developing among Phoenix’s core.” That’s the reality check staring the Mercury front office in the face. Because currently, their roster’s full, and the team’s holding steady at third in the standings. Which leaves Phoenix at a crossroads. Do they gamble on Bonner’s championship pedigree and risk breaking a working formula? Or stick with a lineup that’s doing good?
Well, we’ll likely get that answer within a few hours. And while the Mercury brass weighs their options, there’s one more wrinkle. Another reason Bonner’s itching for a Phoenix Mercury homecoming and it’s more than just front office bussiness.
Another possible reason DeWanna Bonner picked the Phoenix Mercury
Sure, the Fever put their faith in DeWanna Bonner back in February, hoping a two-time WNBA champ and three-time All-Star in the last four seasons could lift them. But the numbers didn’t back it up. In nine games, she posted just 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists before sliding to a reserve role. Now, she’s reportedly eyeing a return to the team where she hoisted two championship trophies, the Mercury.
But if we set the basketball aside for a moment, there’s a personal thread pulling her to the west. If you remember, Bonner is engaged to Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who’s making her present felt in Phoenix.
Thomas, averaging 10.2 points and 7.1 assists in 2025, has been a playmaking force, and her history with Bonner in Connecticut, five straight semifinal runs and a 2022 Finals trip—creates a pull that’s hard to ignore, per WNBA records.
And this pair spent five seasons together in Connecticut, steering the Sun to five consecutive semifinal runs and a trip to the 2022 WNBA Finals.
That shared history both on and off the court can’t be ignored. And if this reunion materializes, the Mercury might just find themselves adding another championship banner. It’s no shock that teams are being quietly advised to pass on claiming Bonner, knowing her heart’s already in Phoenix.
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