DeWanna Bonner Waived by Indiana Fever After WNBA Trade Request Attempt

On June 24, Front Office Sports reporter Annie Costabile sent shockwaves through the WNBA by publishing an article that reported Indiana Fever wing DeWanna Bonner (who signed with the team in free agency this past offseason) was seeking a chance to leave the franchise.

In the article, Costabile wrote that Bonner (who has not played since June 10 due to ‘personal reasons’), “has no interest in returning to play for the Fever. Those same sources indicated Bonner’s preferred landing spots are with the Phoenix Mercury or the Atlanta Dream.”

Costabile also noted that the Fever’s ideal choice in this scenario would be trading Bonner so that they could get something in return for her. However, she also noted that this outcome was unlikely and that Bonner would most likely get waived.

And Chloe Peterson of IndyStar revealed this was the case in a June 25 X post that read, “BREAKING: The Fever are waiving DeWanna Bonner, league sources told IndyStar, then re-signing Aari McDonald.

“Bonner requested a trade after feeling she couldn’t find a role on the team, sources said, but Indiana could not find a suitable trade option.”

Bonner initially began the 2025 season in the Fever’s starting lineup but was relegated to the bench after a few games. The WNBA’s No. 3 all-time leading scorer will surely have no problem finding a new team, and both the Mercury (where her fiancée Alyssa Thomas plays) and the Dream make a lot of sense as potential landing spots.

At least the Fever will get to bring Aari McDonald back in the wake of this news, as she became beloved among the fan base during her first stint in Indiana earlier this year.

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