Despite another record-setting game by Caitlin Clark, the Fever failed to battle their way to a win over the Atlanta Dream. They lost the game by one point after an unfortunate foul by Kelsey Mitchell that sent Rhyne Howard to the line and a big block by Nia Coffey.
Several things stood out in the loss: a controversial sub to close the game, the Fever’s struggles from the free-throw line, and DeWanna Bonner’s performance. Bonner played only 16 minutes, as Stephanie White elected to have Lexie Hull on the court instead, and only took one shot. The veteran finished the game with zero points, three rebounds, and one assist.
The Fever must find a way to get DeWanna Bonner more involved
DeWanna Bonner has gotten off to a slow offensive start with the Fever. In the season opener against the Sky, she scored seven points on 2-9 shooting from the field. Nevertheless, she reached a huge career milestone, moving up on the all-time scoring list. Bonner followed up her first game with the Fever with another uninspiring performance, going 0-1 from the field in limited minutes.
That is not what the Fever signed Bonner for. The Fever got Bonner to be a defensive menace, provide veteran leadership, and make the team even more dangerous offensively. It will be difficult for Bonner to do that if she is not on the court or is not involved much in the offense.
The Fever still have to find the balance between giving youngsters Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston room to shine and involving their veterans in the offense. The Fever only returned a handful of players from the 2024 season and hired a new head coach. Some initial hiccups and chemistry issues are to be expected.
Nevertheless, Bonner’s lack of involvement and production in the first two games has been worrisome. If Indiana wants to win at the highest level and compete for a championship, the team will have to get more out of Bonner. She may already be 37 years old, but Bonner is still a better all-around player than Lexie Hull or Sophie Cunningham. Figuring out how to utilize her correctly could be the difference between beating the best teams in the league and losing to them.
The Fever must prove that they can beat good teams
The new-look Fever are projected to be one of the best teams in the league. However, they still have to prove they can beat some of the better teams in the league. The Fever got a big win over the Sky, but Chicago will be battling for a playoff spot at best. Then, they failed to edge out the Atlanta Dream.
The Fever will get another shot at the Dream later this week, followed by a matchup with the New York Liberty. It will be a chance for the Fever to prove they are as good as expected and can beat good teams. After all, it is still early in the season, and it wouldn’t be fair to judge the Fever—and DeWanna Bonner, for that matter—based on just their second game.