© Kevin Jairaj/Imagn
Four-time WNBA All-Star Kahleah Copper had some harsh words for Indiana Fever fans on Wednesday night after their less-than-stellar treatment of Phoenix Mercury teammate DeWanna Bonner.
Bonner, of course, began the season with the Fever as one of the team’s marquee offseason acquisitions. But things didn’t go according to plan and Bonner eventually left the team, leading some to label her a “quitter,” a label which see strongly rejected.
Bonner, the third leading scorer in the history of the WNBA, then signed with the Mercury to play alongside her fiancée, Alyssa Thomas. Since joining Phoenix, Bonner’s play has been much improved, and she even helped carry the team to a victory over the upstart Golden State Valkyries.
Indiana Fever Fans Weren’t Very Welcoming To DeWanna Bonner
On Wednesday, Bonner made her first trip back to Indiana since leaving the organization on shaky terms. She shot just 1-of-4 for four points in a 107-101 loss, and on top of that, Fever fans showered her with boos.
Dewanna Bonner receives boos while checking in vs the fever 😂 pic.twitter.com/cxhctrrv80
— Kate22 (@KateluvsCC22) July 30, 2025
That’s a pretty normal reaction under the circumstances! Bonner did, for whatever reason, bail on the Fever. And all things considered, booing is one of the mildest ways a fan can show displeasure with a player.
But even so, it didn’t sit well with Copper, who called out Indiana fans following the game.
“I just don’t understand. Like, she’s a legend. All the things she’s done for the league, and just then the disrespect, I just can’t get down with it,” Cooper said. They booed her. She didn’t say a word to the crowd. People talked some trash to her, but we had her back.
“It’s just very distasteful what their fan base is doing when it comes to DB. She is just the sweetest soul. The situation didn’t work for her. It just wasn’t what she wanted or whatever, but we don’t need all of that. It’s just unnecessary.”
However, Copper’s coach, Nate Tibbets, had a differing view of the situation.
“I thought (Bonner) handled it fine,” he said. “That’s how sports work, you go to a former home of yours when you don’t leave on your terms and typically fans aren’t going to be happy. That’s what they did tonight.”
I tend to fall on the side of Tibbets here. Fans in all sports step over the line all the time because they feel they can treat athletes like circus acts. And when that happens, they need to be named and shamed. But booing is far from that. If anything, it continues to show the growth of the WNBA that fans are following intently enough to know all the workings behind the scenes.