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DeWanna Bonner missed her fifth consecutive game for the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night as a report suggested she was looking to move on from the WNBA team she signed with in February.
Bonner, 37, is in her 16th year in the league. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward came to Indiana as a coveted free agent expected to bring experience and leadership after spending the past five seasons in Connecticut.
Bonner last played for the Fever on June 10 in a loss at Atlanta and has been out since then for what the team called personal reasons.
As Bonner’s absence has continued over the past two weeks, questions arose about whether she wanted to leave the team. Earlier Tuesday, Front Office Sports, citing league sources, reported that Bonner does not want to return to Indiana and would like to play in Phoenix or Atlanta.
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Bonner’s agent, Mike Cound, told ESPN on Tuesday that he could not comment on Bonner’s situation.
Fever coach Stephanie White has said multiple times previously that the franchise supported Bonner being away from the team.
White was asked again about Bonner before Tuesday’s 94-86 win at Seattle, and whether she had communicated with her.
“I haven’t had a lot of conversations recently,” White said. “You know, really been focused on the group that we have right here, and what we need to do to position ourselves to win.”
Bonner averaged double-figures scoring in each of her 15 previous seasons in the WNBA and has been a full-time starter since 2012. She started only three of the nine Fever games she appeared in, averaging 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Her contract, which is unprotected, is for $200,000 this season. The Fever potentially could waive or trade her.
The Fever are also soon to be without post player Damiris Dantas, who is leaving Wednesday to join the Brazilian national team in Chile for the FIBA AmeriCup, a qualifying event for next year’s FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Dantas is expected to miss five games.
Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso is also taking a break from her WNBA team and will join Dantas on the Brazilian team.
