Mercury Coach Sends Clear Message on DeWanna Bonner

"Obviously it wasn’t probably how long they wanted her here and how long she probably thought," Tibbetts admitted at Wednesday's shootaround. "But DB’s had a great career. She’s an unbelievable person. I hope that they give her a lot of respect.”

Why DeWanna Bonner Was Waived by the Fever

Why would the Indiana faithful ever consider booing a six-time All-Star? Not to mention, one who became the WNBA's third-leading scorer of all time while wearing a Fever jersey at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season.

As Tibbetts referenced, her stay in Indianapolis did not last as long as anybody expected. Brought in as a major free agent signing to provide scoring and leadership around Caitlin Clark, Bonner only ended up playing nine games in 2025 for the Fever. She averaged career lows of 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Her last game for the Fever was June 10, followed by an undisclosed personal absence that kept her out until Indiana finally waived the 37-year-old on June 25. She confirmed in a statement that she requested to leave the team, citing her feeling that "the fit did not work out."

A Familiar Home in Phoenix

Bonner cleared waivers and signed with the Mercury until the end of the season, joining her wife, Alyssa Thomas, on the Phoenix roster.

Entering Wednesday's game, Bonner has seen an uptick in her numbers since returning to Phoenix, where she spent the first 10 seasons of her professional career and won titles in 2009 and 2014.

It may only be a six-game sample size, but she is already back to double-figure scoring (11.5 points per game) and more typical numbers on the glass (5.0 rebounds per game).

"I wouldn't do anything differently," Bonner said before her return. "I think my journey is my journey, and I'm going to accept that. It carried me to where I am now in Phoenix, and it happened that way for a reason."