FEVER, BONNER PART WAYS

DeWanna Bonner, the third all-time scorer in the WNBA, has been placed on waivers. What was supposed to be a strong push for a WNBA Finals with the Indiana Fever hsa now headed the way of a mid-season “contract divorce”.

Bonner has been away from the Fever since June 12 and fans were hoping that she would return to help the team contend. As it turns out, the June 10 game against the Atlanta Dream was DeWanna’s Indianapolis finale.

On June 24, Annie Costiable of Front Office Sports reported that Bonner had “no interest” in returning to the Fever. Sources told Costiable that the fit was “off” from the beginning of DB’s tenure there. The combination of fit, vibes, and role seemed to make things really difficult on Bonner and the Fever coaching staff.

Once news like this becomes public, it’s very hard to manage the fallout and get things to a more harmonious place between player and team. Stephanie White and the Fever organization will not have to worry about that problem.

On June 25, the team officially waived Bonner. In a statement, DB said,

Lexie Hull will continue starting at the small forward and the team brought in fan favorite and hardship contract hero Aari McDonald back on a rest-of-season contract. McDonald will help the Fever maintain their fast pace when Caitlin Clark is on the bench and give the Fever another perimeter player that can break defenders down off the dribble and get to the rim.

Bonner is expected to clear waivers and has reportedly told teams not to pick her up off of waivers. When a player does something like that, it’s usually because they have a specific destination in mind.

And for Bonner, she has a preference of rejoining the Phoenix Mercury. She starred on the Mercury from 2009-2019 and won a championship there in 2014.

Her fiancée, Alyssa Thomas, joined the Mercury this past off-season and recently returned from a left calf injury. Naturally, reporters in Phoenix asked Thomas, about the news, and well… it was worth a shot, I suppose!

We’ll keep you posted on the latest regarding Bonner’s free agency.

MADAME PRESIDENT (STORM VERSION)

It always takes a season to get adjusted to a new city. You have to get used to the rhythms of the time, find the places that bring you comfort, and adjust to a new job with new co-workers and new responsibilities. For Nneka Ogwumike, her first year in Seattle was marked with disappointment as the Storm were swept in the playoffs and had an off-season full of controversy and uncertainty.

This year, it’s been a totally different feel and the Storm expect to be competing for homecourt advantage in the playoffs.

Ogwumike has had a fantastic 2025 as she is currently 13th in the league in scoring at almost 18 points a game, eighth in rebounds with just over eight boards a game, and is once again shooting over 50 percent from the field.

Ogwumike was named Player of the Week for the stretch from June 16-22 when she averaged 25.7 points and eight rebounds on 71.4 percent shooting from the field. Even with her on-court excellence, that doesn’t speak to the true impact she has on the team and league. After the Storm’s victory over the Liberty on June 22, Skylar Diggins spoke about her future Hall of Fame teammate

As President of the Players’ Association, she is working to ensure the players get the best outcomes in negotiations. She’s helped lead the PA through incredibly difficult times and is determined to chart a new, transformational path for women’s sports in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

We’ll have plenty more about the latest in those negotiations here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup.

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

• How the Valkyries could elbow their way into the WNBA playoffs by Meghan L. Hall for For The Win

• What to Watch For At the 2025 FIBA Americup by Andrew Giuntini-Haubner for No Cap Space

• Stew for Two: The Evolution of Breanna Stewart’s Efficiency by Myles Ehrlich for Winsidr

• The New York Liberty have hit a rough patch. How do they get out of it? by Lucas Kaplan for NetsDaily

• Art at the End of the World by Terryn at Terryngrams

• Dominique Thorne’s ‘Ironheart’ Is A ‘Testament’ To This Marvel Staple’s Legacy by Njera Perkins for the Huffington Post

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here’s the schedule for the next few days (Eastern Standard Time)

💰 MONEY MOVES

CAITLIN CLARK ENTERS THE LAB

Injuries aside, it’s a great time to be Caitlin Clark.

Although the Indiana Fever lost on Sunday afternoon to the Las Vegas Aces, it was the third most watched game WNBA game ever on ESPN. It’s another win for the Fever franchise as their young star continues to astound and sell out arenas across the country. She’s been a global sensation and earlier this week unveiled something new.

On June 23, Wilson Basketball and Clark unveiled the latest in her signature basketball line. Clark and a team of women product designers at Wilson worked together on the designs and created a series of basketballs that can be outdoors in the community or indoor settings as well.

“Caitlin Clark is not just a record-setting athlete, she is a cultural influence who has galvanized athletes and fans across the full spectrum of ages, genders and backgrounds in supporting women’s sports,” David Picioski, Director of Global Marketing, Team Sports at Wilson said in a statement.

“We are proud to partner with Caitlin to continue furthering our mission of inspiring the next generation of athletes, and we are confident that this new collection will aid in that mission.”

When you combine this with the WNBA’s “Line ‘Em Up” initiative, you can see the importance of engaging fans at all levels and in all environments.

With anticipation building as to when Clark will get her own signature sneaker line, partnerships like this will only create more excitement. Clark has steadily maintained her momentum from the college ranks and has built on it in her two seasons in the WNBA.

She’s the topic of discussion (for good and for ill) every time she steps on the court and is walking in the footsteps of the players and coaches that have built the game to what it is currently. As she continues to succeed in the WNBA, partnerships like this will continue to blossom.

📲 STAY CONNECTED!

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