Stephanie White Details Obstacles DeWanna Bonner Faces Fitting in With Fever

Ahead of the Fever’s matchup against the Washington Mystics Wednesday, Bonner was asked about how her adjustment with her new team has gone.

 “[It’s] definitely different from what I’m used to in Connecticut,” Bonner said referring to her time with her former team the Connecticut Sun. “So just trying to figure out where I can get my points, be aggressive, where I can impact the game. Whether that’s defensively or rebounding, so whatever I can do for that night,” she continued.

Standing 6’4” tall with an incredible 7’4” wingspan, Bonner has been able to make a significant defensive impact for the Fever, rebounding over opponents and eliminating their second chance point opportunities and disrupting offensive momentum in crucial moments.

Fever coach Stephanie White attributes some of Bonners struggles assimilating to her former Connecticut team being slower paced.

“We had a veteran team, now these are young fast players who play a lot off of instinct,” White told the media ahead of their Mystics. White noted the Fever staff is continuing to learn how to get Bonner involved and “allow her to feel free in the offense.”

“Right now sometimes I think she’s second guessing because she’s not quite sure where to go,” White said. “That’s on us as coaches, that’s on out team on how to get her involved, and on [Bonner] to make adjustments. So it’s gonna take time.”

As the Fever continue to navigate early-season growing pains, Bonner’s veteran presence and versatility remain impactful. With Caitlin Clark sidelined with a quad injury, there’s an opening for Bonner to assert herself more offensively.

While the transition hasn’t been seamless, Bonner’s commitment to contributing however she can—combined with the coaching staff’s efforts to better integrate her—could pay off for Indiana over time. If the chemistry starts to come together, Bonner has the potential to be a true difference-maker for the Fever, not just on defense, but offensively in the way she’s proven capable of throughout her career.