The moment the clock struck 3 PM on August 7, 2025, the trade deadline for the 2025 WNBA season was over. A deadline where many teams made moves to either improve their chances of winning the 2025 WNBA championship or secure the best picks of the 2026 WNBA draft. The Minnesota Lynx added DiJonai Carrington to their already rich ranks. Whereas, the Los Angeles Aces added a former number 2 overall pick, NaLyssa Smith, to make a late surge and rise in the playoff standings.
One team that surprisingly made no moves was Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. A decision that, after their game against the Phoenix Mercury, seems to be a very critical error. Already down Caitlin Clark, the team has now lost two more point guards for the rest of the season. Shortly after the game against the Phoenix Mercury, the Indiana Fever announced that both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald will miss the season due to an ACL injury and a broken bone in her foot, respectively.
With the Indiana Fever roster down to just 9 healthy players right now, the fans and WNBA insiders alike are baffled over the lack of action taken. There were a lot of calls from the insiders for the Indiana Fever front office to make a move. Especially with $95K still to spend in their salary cap, all logic dictated making a move. With Caitlin Clark already missing 9 games, and her return not looming near, this was reason enough to make a move. Discussing the same on their WNBA trade deadline reaction podcast were Alicia Jay and Erica Ayala.
Speaking on the We Need To Talk podcast, Erica said, “Indiana stands out to me. Because if a team like Seattle is going to make a surge, then that means they’re going to have to, they’re competing within that catchment area in the standings, as of right now, with a team like Indiana.” The middle of the WNBA’s playoff picture is bunched up together. Just 2 games separate seeds 5 to 9; any downturn in form now can lead to a situation where you don’t even make the playoffs. Considering all this, and the fact that the Fever had the 4th most purse to spend, the fact that they didn’t make a move is surprising. But, Erica Alaya’s analysis of the situation did not stop here…
She continued, “We know Clark is out indefinitely as of right now, Sophie Cunningham has missed time, and we saw Syd Coslon go down the other night. And I think that’s a team that maybe, I wasn’t firm in that they needed to make a move, I could definitely see them making a move.” After having to suffer all these injuries and DeWanna Bonner leaving the squad mid-season, there was a certain gap in the Indiana Fever’s roster. Aari McDonald was one of the biggest reasons for the Indiana Fever treading water and even creating franchise records during Caitlin Clark’s recent absence.
Another fact that this lack of moves is surprising is because of the message coming out of the Fever organization before the season began. They were no longer just content with making the playoffs; they wanted to compete for the championship as soon as possible. And, for the most part, their signings in the offseason echoed a similar sentiment. However, with a chance to lose an important addition, what seemed like a positive situation for the franchise now seems bleak.
The Indiana Fever had their best win streak for the past decade before suffering a defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks. Now, with another loss and more importantly, 2 more injuries for the rest of the season, the decision to not make any move is looking more and more baffling day by day. The loss to the Phoenix Mercury was made even worse after the way Indiana’s public enemy number 1, DeWanna Bonner, dominated with her best game of the season so far.
DeWanna Bonner Responds to Boos as Mercury Hand Fever Their Worst Loss of the Season
DeWanna Bonner is one of the, if not the best, veteran players of the game. With a resume to match her stature and reputation in the game, hopes were high when the Indiana Fever pulled off a coup last off-season. Pairing veteran presence of DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard with a roster brimming with talent, it seemed like the Fever had struck gold. However, soon enough, things started to get sour behind the scenes.
Jul 25, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) gestures after making a three-point shot in the second quarter against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
DeWanna Bonner’s entry into the injury list as a ‘personal reason’ and Coach White not able to quash the trade request rumors, it was just a matter of time before Bonner was going to leave the Indiana Fever. That moment came on June 24, with the Indiana Fever waiving the forward. Once released, DeWanna Bonner confirmed the worst-kept secret in the WNBA and joined the Phoenix Mercury.
Her return to the Gainbrige Fieldhouse was entertaining, to say the least. With boos ringing hard, and Bonner struggling to find her groove and ending the game with 4 points, the Phoenix Mercury lost a close game. All in all, it was a night to forget for her. However, the chance to redeem herself would come soon. And redeem she did.
In the recent game against the Indiana Fever, this time on her own home court, DeWanna Bonner had the best night of her season. With 23 points on the board, she led the Mercury to hand the Clark-less Indiana Fever their worst loss of the season. In a loss where nothing seemed to work for the Indiana Fever, DeWanna Bonner found her fair share of revenge against the fanbase that booed her mercilessly.
The Indiana Fever decided to stay put at the trade deadline. But now, with two more season-ending injuries and without a quality point guard, they have to ride with the roster they have. The Fever’s next challenge, at home against the Chicago Sky tonight.
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