The Indiana Fever recently signed DeWanna Bonner. Bonner, 37, is a six-time WNBA All-Star who is set to help lead the Fever in 2025. She previously dealt with retirement rumors, but Bonner is indeed going to play during the upcoming season. Caitlin Clark believes Bonner will make a significant impact with the Fever in 2025.
"You want your teammates to be just as competitive as you are," Clark told reporters on Monday, via James Boyd of The Athletic. "I think training camp is going to be really fun. That's when you are competing live... I think it's more the drive of pushing your teammates to get better and I think that's exactly what she (Bonner) speaks to when she talks about her leadership.
"That's gonna push all of us to get better when you can see a vet like that come in here and want to get better every single day still... That's inspiring. That motivates you to want to be better, too."
Clark has high expectations for the 2025 season both from an individual and team standpoint. The Fever's addition of Bonner will only help Indiana take another step forward. The Fever are fresh off a postseason appearance, but they want to make a deeper playoff run soon.
What DeWanna Bonner brings to Indiana Fever
Bonner will provide veteran prowess. She has played at the WNBA level since 2009. Bonner has played with two teams in her career up to this point, as she played in Phoenix with the Mercury until 2019 before spending the past five years with the Connecticut Sun.
Bonner, as mentioned, is a six-time All-Star. She has continued to play at a high level late into her career. In fact, she made back-to-back All-Star teams in 2023 and 2024. During the '24 campaign, Bonner averaged 15 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per outing.
Yes, Bonner will certainly bring aforementioned veteran prowess. However, she offers far more than that. She is a leader and an extremely reliable player. At 37 years old, DeWanna Bonner is not showing any signs of slowing down.
The Fever feature a fairly young roster overall. It is easy to forget that Caitlin Clark is only 23 years old. Additionally, they have a number of other inexperienced WNBA players. Many of the players feature high ceilings, though. The Fever's future is bright to say the least, and Bonner is set to help lead the way.