Life without Caitlin Clark has officially begun for the Indiana Fever, and unsurprisingly, the start wasn’t ideal. With Clark sidelined for the first time in her career due to a left quadricep injury, all she could do was watch from the bench as the Fever fell just short against the Mystics. It was another close one, but not enough to grab the win. And while the focus was on Clark’s absence, one national reporter couldn’t help but raise questions about the role of a certain two-time WNBA champion on this roster.
When the Fever faced off against the Connecticut Sun in last year’s playoffs, it was DeWanna Bonner who took on the challenge of guarding Caitlin Clark. And safe to say, she handled it like a pro! She kept the rookie relatively quiet through the series. In game 1 of the playoffs, Clark went just 1-of-9 from the field in the first half, and with Bonner as the primary defender, it was 0-7. So when news broke that the 2x champion was joining the Fever this season, you could feel the excitement.
Fast forward to the recent game against the Mystics, and Bonner reminded everyone exactly why! She dropped 21 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and had three steals to her name, all while solidifying her third spot on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. A big night in the absence of Clark for a big-time player.
But the way she has played throughout the season is what has left national reporter Ros Gold-Onwude of the Good Follow podcast questioning coach White’s plans for the 15-year veteran. She said, “I’m looking at Stephanie White to kind of help identify what DeWanna Bonner’s role is going to be with this team. Already DeWanna has started, already she has come off the bench. When you know where you are in the rotation, when you get in the game, you understand where your shots are coming from, who you’re playing with, how to kind of move yourself over the course of a game, it’s really important to establish some kind of rhythm.”
Bonner averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds for the Sun last year as a starter, and the expectation was that she’d bring that same level of production to Indiana. But so far, that just hasn’t been the case, and the cause in some part can be attributed to the lack of a defined role. Through five games, Bonner has started three and come off the bench in two, and the vision on the defensive or offensive requirement has been rather instinctive.
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever forward DeWanna Bonner (25) celebrates becoming the 3rd most leading points scorer in the WNBA in the second half against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/USATSI_26209783.jpg https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/USATSI_26209783.jpg
“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,” Bonner said after the game against Mystics.
Unsurprisingly, though, her shooting has taken a serious hit. Outside of the game against the Mystics, Bonner had gone 0-for-7 from the field in her previous three outings. That’s almost unthinkable for someone who’s racked up over 7,000 career points. Before her breakout game, she was averaging just 2.5 points and shooting a rough 12% from the floor. And that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the head coach.
Stephanie White opens up about the struggles of Caitlin Clark’s teammate
For the first time in her 16-year WNBA career, DeWanna Bonner opened the season scoring less than 10 points in her opening two games. A stat line that’s hard to believe for someone of her pedigree. It’s not the kind of record she’d ever want to set, and certainly not something fans saw coming either.
That said, Bonner has still found ways to impact the game, especially on the defensive end. She’s been grabbing those rebounds, boxing out aggressively, and doing the dirty work to disrupt opponents’ offensive rhythm and limit second-chance opportunities. But if we’re being honest, her offense (outside of the breakout performance against the Mystics) hasn’t come close to what she’s capable of.
Coach Stephanie White shed some light on what’s been behind Bonner’s slow start, and it sounds like the transition from Connecticut’s system hasn’t been seamless. “We had a veteran team, now these are young fast players who play a lot off of instinct. Right now sometimes I think she’s second guessing because she’s not quite sure where to go,” White explained. “That’s on us as coaches, that’s on our team on how to get her involved, and on [Bonner] to make adjustments. So it’s gonna take time.”
Bonner has shown glimpses of what she can do on the offensive end against the Mystics in Caitlin Clark’s absence. But there’s still a big question mark regarding what her permanent role in the team will be once Clark returns.
The post Caitlin Clark’s Injury Fails To Hide National Reporter’s Major Indiana Fever Locker Room Curiosity appeared first on EssentiallySports.