Phoenix Mercury HC Invites Scrutiny After He Lifts Lid On DeWanna Bonner’s Fever Exit

Alyssa Thomas is making sure the deal goes through….collusion or just coincidence? Fever fans seem convinced it’s the former. Social media has been buzzing, with many accusing the Mercury organization of collusion. Let’s take a look at some of those reactions.

 Nate Tibbetts’ DeWanna Bonner Revelation Sparks Fan Fury

Fever fans were clearly unhappy with the turn of events. One fan tweeted, “This should be investigated,” while another chimed in with, “Admitting collusion by @PhoenixMercury to get DeQuitter with her gf. The @WNBA should give the Fever their 1st round pick at minimum.”

When Bonner joined Indiana this season, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo even called it the move that made the Fever a legitimate title contender. “It’s just exciting times,” Caitlin Clark added. But that excitement didn’t last long. Just four games into the season, Bonner found herself on the bench, and out of nine appearances, she started only three.

It was June 12 when Fever fans last saw Bonner in action. She had completely disappeared, citing personal reasons. While the specifics behind those personal reasons soon emerged, the breakup between the Fever and DeWanna Bonner was an ugly one, and it’s no surprise that fans were rattled. One angry fan wrote, “Sounds like Phoenix needs to be investigated for unauthorized agreements/tampering. Players, coach, and franchise should each be fined or face restrictions of some kind.”

Now, the same fan doubled down by posting a screenshot of the WNBA rulebook, which clearly states that unauthorized agreements between a player and a team are strictly prohibited, with fines that could go up to $1 million for violations. But here’s the question–do the Mercury really deserve that kind of penalty? Was this even collusion to begin with? After all, Alyssa Thomas is Bonner’s fiancée, and what Tibbetts likely meant was that DeWanna Bonner simply chose to finish her career playing alongside her partner. Given that Bonner has been in the league since 2009, this could very well be her last season. So in reality, there doesn’t appear to be any unauthorized agreement at play.

Fans didn’t stop there. The frustration kept pouring in, and much of it was directed squarely at Bonner herself. One fan even went as far as calling her a quitter: “What Bonner did to the Fever was criminal. However, the Mercury getting an aged-out player who can barely shoot anymore and runs like she is on stilts—that’s karma. No matter what Bonner has or will accomplish, she will always be known as a quitter.” 

We’re not here to argue about karma, but Bonner’s numbers have definitely dipped. She’s gone from 15 a game to 10.9 this season with the Mercury, and that’s expected at 38. Still, she’s been a solid piece off the bench, giving Phoenix experience and stability. Some fans might say her exit from the Fever hurts her legacy, but that just doesn’t add up. We’re talking about a 2x WNBA champ, 6x All-Star, and the third all-time scorer in league history. No matter what, Bonner’s going down as one of the best to ever do it.

That still didn’t stop Fever fans from spinning their own theories. One even wrote, “Weird how if they wanted her so bad that they didn’t get her at the beginning of the season. Oh wait they couldn’t afford her max contract, hmmm let’s concoct a plan that nobody will care because everyone already hates the Fever”

A fan theory that actually makes sense…at least if you’re a Fever fan. The Mercury couldn’t afford Bonner’s $200,000  contract early in the season, which meant she had to stick around in Indiana until Phoenix had the flexibility to bring her in. She signed a rest-of-season deal worth $78,831 with the Mercury. So, was there some shady business going on? Honestly, Bonner could’ve joined Phoenix from the start alongside Thomas, but she didn’t. Maybe it really did come down to the numbers and the contract.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below!