Last season, Indiana Fever fandom beat out some NBA teams. The WNBA’s average attendance of 17,035 in 2024 was more than 5 NBA teams, including their NBA brother Indiana Pacers. And they were in a season of a lifetime. While Caitlin might have tripped the switch, the city of Indiana had embraced the Fever. They were excited for the 2025 season for the Fever after making the playoffs for the first time in 2024. It was the year this team could genuinely challenge for the title for the first time in a decade.
In pursuit of this success, the Fever management made big moves in the offseason, bridging their experience gap that plagued them last season. One of their marquee moves was bringing in DeWanna Bonner from the team that outclassed them in the first round of the playoffs, the Connecticut Sun. The Fever even stole their current coach, Stephanie White, from the Sun’s fire sale. That move imploded just 9 games into the season, as Bonner requested a trade to the Mercury. After much controversy, she finally got her move, and the passionate Fever fans were just waiting to give a special welcome to the veteran.
Instead of welcoming Bonner with garlands, they rained down boos on Bonner with voices of “Quitter” coming from the crowd. It was not received well by some fans, and especially Kahleah Copper, who slammed it as “very distasteful.” Since then, many have come out refuting Copper, including Fever star Sophie Cunningham, who simply concluded on her podcast, “If you’re going to leave, you’re going to have to expect getting booed.”
Following that Cunningham push back, WNBA legend and analyst Candace Parker echoed Cunningham’s emotions while pointing out the positive side of the situation on the ‘Post Moves’ Podcast with Aliyah Boston, saying, “I mean, listen, what did you expect? I think this puts women’s basketball on the map. I’m not going to lie. Cuz when KD, everybody waited for KD to go back to OKC, okay, they booed him. Big shocker. Everybody waited for Bron to go back to Cleveland. Cleveland booed him.”
Sports throughout their history have been emotional. Like the examples Parker mentioned, Durant left the Thunder for the Warriors, and the fans booed him like it was the last sound they would ever make. They still boo him when his name is introduced in the lineup, they use it as an outlet, as a feeling of betrayal, and that old wound. And is Durant upset and whining over it? “It’s been eight years. But I understand the dynamics of all this, what being a fan means, and what I meant to this city.” He said last year.
LeBron had his jersey burned by Cavaliers fans and was immensely hated in the city for years. In his first game back in Miami colours, they showered James with invective, and some even hurled batteries onto the court, which spooked NBA security to the point they considered calling the game early. “I felt the animosity. I felt the scrutiny. But once the ball was tipped, I’m in my safe haven.” James explained later on.
The same culture being carried to the WNBA means the scene has shifted, and the fans are taking the league and their allegiances just as seriously as in the NBA. It is the formation of a proper fan culture, and Parker further explained with another perspective, adding, “It’s a privilege. It’s a privilege and that was expected to me. I love being booed. I thought that was a sign of respect. If you’re not booing somebody that can’t get buckets.”
There is a reason fans are so upset at Bonner leaving their team high and dry. She was supposed to be the mentor to Caitlin Clark and elevate this team to another level. Her talents as a 6x WNBA All-Star and a two-time winner were immensely respected in Indiana. They showered her with love and praise when she was a part of their family. But Bonner was “never happy” there, and she broke their hearts when she left the Indiana. The booes meant that she was good enough to hurt the fans over her departure. Many players are going out of Fever every year, but the most intense reaction has been to Bonner, and that says something.
WNBA Growth Goes Beyond the Numbers
It was a high-stakes New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces game last year. In an up-and-down game, Kelsey Plum led a comeback for A’ja Wilson-less Aces, and a foul was called on Plum, which was initially called as her sixth and final. However, it was later announced that it was, in fact, her fifth. The fans shouted in frustration, they booed Plum, and a voice from a man echoed from the top of the Barclays Center, “F— you, Kelsey! F— youuu, Kelseeeey! F— youuuu, Kelseeeey!”
Some fans were left surprised, it was the kind of aggression rarely seen in the WNBA. Normally, it was a pretty silent crowd cheering for big plays, but now they are more active than ever. The newer fans are bringing in their heart and aggression, showing they are tied to the league and the team they support. It’s no longer all love, it’s intense competition. Some fans see it as a negative change and “tribal” in nature, while other fans see a league maturing and evolving into a serious league.
There are always two perspectives. “That space we built in the [WNBA] where we lift each other up, for the first time it’s really being challenged,” said Brooks, 52, a season ticket holder for more than two decades. “Last year was more caustic, more tribal. It’s wild seeing how it’s shifted.” To the veteran fans, this change feels alien as they are used to things being friendly and mundane, but as a league evolves, it has to cater to every kind of fan. While there are negatives to this changing culture, it is important to maintain a balance and the ethical line.
As Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts explained, “That’s kind of how sports work”. It has emotion, drama, a dash of hate, and plenty of love. This change signals that the WNBA is ready to move on to the next stage in its growth and has earned the respect of casual fans. The passion and intensity mean that people’s days are actually ruined if their WNBA side loses or if their favourite player is injured. It’s no longer just another game one watches when nothing else is on. It is where you debate for hours, advocating for your team and trying to win arguments.
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