The curious case of DeWanna Bonner as All-Star stays away from Caitlin Clark, Fever

The status of Fever guard DeWanna Bonner is turning into a full-fledged mystery. Bonner, 37, is a six-time All-Star who signed with Indiana in the offseason to be a veteran stalwart alongside young stars Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. But after playing just nine games with the Fever, Bonner’s future with the team appears to be in serious doubt. She’s been away from the team for the last four games due to “personal reasons,” according to coach Stephanie White, and now her banner has been allegedly removed from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse concourse, raising even more questions. “She’s doing well, she’s doing well,” White said Saturday.“Again, no timeline.

I think it’s day-to-day, and for us to make sure that we’re continuing to be supportive of DB in her time away.”Bonner, who is the WNBA’s third all-time leading scorer, played her last game with the Fever on June 10, a 77-58 loss to the Dream. With the Fever, Bonner has seen her role become significantly diminished from what it had been in the past few seasons. The Auburn product is averaging just 21.3 minutes a night in Indiana, tying a career-low with her rookie year in 2009.Last season, she played 31.8 minutes per game with the Sun. Accordingly, Bonner’s stats have taken a serious dip — she’s averaging just 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds this year, compared to 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in Connecticut last season. Her absence — plus the removal of her banner — has some fans thinking she may have requested a trade from Indiana, or that she’ll be traded soon.“Can [the] Fever officially trade her?” asked one user on X, with another writing: “She might’ve just pulled the plug on her season in Indy.”Some others, though, want fans to stop speculating and give the two-time WNBA champion some space.“You have way too much time on your hands,” one user wrote in response to those theorizing about reasons for the absence.

“Maybe she is sick.Maybe...