The last time the Fever had a fully healthy roster was back on May 24th. Since then, it’s been a revolving door of absences. What started with Caitlin Clark’s left quad strain soon snowballed. Sydney Colson was out. Then Sophie Cunningham joined the list. And now, DeWanna Bonner has been missing since June 12, sidelined for personal reasons. When Coach Stephanie White was asked about Bonner, her response was as brief as it was vague. “Give her the time that she needs,” White said, with no timeline and no hints. Then came the next press appearance.
This time, Bonner wasn’t mentioned at all. “You know, getting Caitlin and getting Sophie back gives us confidence as well,” White said, completely skipping over one of the team’s most experienced voices. That was the moment the fan base collectively tilted its head. Wait – Clark? Sophie? Okay, but… where’s Bonner? Since then, fans have been stuck in a digital pattern – refreshing Twitter, typing Bonner’s name into search bars, hoping for the faintest update. But there’s been nothing. Just silence. And understandably, it’s beginning to wear on them.
Because earlier this month, Bonner committed a little early and gave hopes to Indy that no matter what, she would tackle it all. “I really want to win for Steph, she’s going through a tough time with her family right now,” the veteran guard said ahead of the June 7 matchup. And true to her word, she gave it everything she had that night, stepping up while Coach White was away from the sidelines against the Chicago Sky. But then came June 19. Coach White was once again absent, this time for the game against the Valkyries. Only now, so was Bonner. So, this time, when the media turned to White for answers, there was no skirting the topic.
And, maintaining the mutual respect, Coach White perfectly echoed the same sentiment yet again. In an interview ahead of the Aces game, Stephanie White was asked how DeWanna Bonner was doing and if there is a timeline for her return. “She’s doing well, she’s doing well,” the coach shared. “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.”
Stephanie White says DeWanna Bonner is doing well, but there’s no timeline for her return.
Bonner has missed three games because of personal reasons and is not with the Fever on their road trip. pic.twitter.com/7bdPEdxezd
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 21, 2025
Now, we have to understand the WNBA’s reality here of smaller rosters, tighter travel, and a demanding schedule that would test even the toughest athletes. Within that structure, there’s an unspoken understanding. When it comes to veterans, especially ones who’ve carried the league like DeWanna Bonner has, empathy and flexibility aren’t just nice, they’re necessary. Bonner has long been one of the league’s most reliable presences. She has played for just two teams in 15 years and hasn’t missed a single one in the last two. It’s just that since reuniting with her former Connecticut coach this season, that number has taken a surprising hit. And if that’s the case, you know there’s something real going on behind the scenes.
Whatever DeWanna Bonner is going through personally might be far deeper than what the box score, or any of us, can grasp. So, when you look at her career lows of 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, they don’t make one angry, and things start to make more sense. Thankfully, the support hasn’t wavered. Fans continue to show up for her, voting her into the top 40 of the All-Star race with a remarkable 56,775 votes. Hopefully, she can draw strength from that unwavering support. But for now, Bonner remains away from the Fever on their West Coast road trip and is expected to miss her fourth straight game when Indiana takes on the Aces in Las Vegas on Sunday.
That absence will leave the team down to just 10 active players. And with Damiris Dantas also sidelined for five games, it might be time for the Fever to seriously consider dipping back into the hardship contract pool – something they’ve had to flirt with before.
Will the Indiana Fever sign a hardship player?
If DeWanna Bonner stays out for a while, the Indiana Fever could be down to just nine available players. This would happen once backup center Damiris Dantas leaves to play for Brazil in the FIBA AmeriCup and Bonner does not return. Dantas will head out after the Fever’s road trip ends in Seattle. She’s expected to miss five games from June 26 to July 8 while she’s competing in Chile. Most importantly, that absence would affect the big Commissioner’s Cup Final.
If DeWanna Bonner isn’t back by then, the Fever would qualify for an emergency hardship exception under the WNBA’s rules. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article VII, Section 4(b)(i)), a team can add a hardship player if injuries, illnesses, or other circumstances leave them with fewer than 10 available players. With both Bonner and Dantas out, Indiana would hit the exact number that will make them eligible. This situation isn’t new for the Fever, though.
They have already used the emergency hardship exception once this season. It was when Caitlin Clark was dealing with a left quad strain and Sophie Cunningham was out with a right ankle injury. They brought in guard Aari McDonald as a short-term fix. McDonald made a solid contribution. She was putting up 11.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game over three appearances while playing about 25 minutes a night.
But once Clark and Cunningham were healthy again, the Fever had to let McDonald go. Even though she is still available, Indiana probably wouldn’t bring her back this time unless another guard gets hurt. Because the current need is in the frontcourt. If both Bonner (who usually plays the 4) and Dantas (the backup 5) are still out, the Fever would more likely look for a forward or center under the same emergency rule.
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