The Indiana Fever will need to prepare for life without DeWanna Bonner.
The veteran WNBA forward reportedly wants out of Indy after signing with the franchise in the winter. While she started the 2025 season in the starting lineup, Bonner was later replaced by guard Lexie Hull in the starting five and moved to a role off the bench.
Seemingly unhappy with her role with the team and wanting a fresh start, Bonner’s future exit, whether it be through trade or an outright release, seems unavoidable for the Fever. What could Indiana do next to replace Bonner on the roster?
Moving on from Bonner would free up the cap space for Indiana to maneuver and fill the 11th and 12th available spots on the roster. Let’s look at what the Fever could do next to respond to the impending Bonner departure.
Re-sign Aari McDonald
Re-signing McDonald feels like a given at this point for the Fever. This may have already been in the works even without Bonner’s pending exit with how well she played for the franchise during superstar guard Caitlin Clark’s injury absence. Getting her back for the rest of the season would be a fantastic way to replace Bonner’s scoring off the bench. The fact that McDonald hasn’t signed anywhere in the WNBA after her stellar four games with the Fever makes you think it may just be a matter of time before McDonald is back in Indy.
Re-sign Jillian Alleyne or Yvonne Ejim
Alleyne has very limited WNBA experience since joining the league in 2016, but she was with Indiana during training camp this offseason. The center/forward was among the team’s roster cuts before the 2025 season, but it’s very possible the Fever bring her back for depth. Ejim was the team’s third-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft who is still a free agent and could provide an impact as rookie depth at the forward position. Both are available as free agents, and both have experience running Stephanie White’s system in training camp.
Trade for a veteran
It’s always possible the Fever could swing a trade for forward depth, with Los Angeles Sparks forward Azurá Stevens a very intriguing option. Set to be a free agent in 2026, Stevens is averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds this season in 14 games through Tuesday evening. Indiana could flip a 2026 draft pick Los Angeles’ way and secure Stevens as a crucial piece of the rotation for the rest of the season. If they could shift some money around on the salary cap to absorb Stevens’ contract, this is a very workable idea for the Fever.
Other players that could hypothetically be trade candidates include Chicago Sky forward Rebecca Allen (who played for White with the Connecticut Sun in 2023), Sun forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa (who played for White in 2023 and 2024) and Dallas Wings forward Myisha Hines-Allen, who is on an expiring contract.
