"Wait for Alyssa Thomas to call racism now": Fans erupt as DeWanna Bonner's first Indiana return met with hostile welcome

The Indiana Fever welcomed DeWanna Bonner back to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday as a member of the Phoenix Mercury.. Bonner was with the Fever at the start of the season and appeared in nine games. However, she felt like she didn't fit in since she was demoted to playing off the bench.

She reportedly forced her way out of Indiana, leading her to be waived by the organization. Bonner signed with the Mercury, her team for 11 seasons, reuniting her with fiance and star forward Alyssa Thomas.

With the Phoenix, she has played six games, including one where she came off the bench. Bonner is playing better, averaging 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

In her first game back against the Fever on Wednesday, she was met with boos from the crowd. Watch the video below to see how the fans treated her as she checked in the game.

This led to fans' wild reactions to Bonner's return. One fan is even waiting for Thomas to accuse the home crowd of being racist.

"Wait for AT to call racism now 😭😭😭😭😭," a fan said. "We expected DeWanna Bonner to get booed. It isn’t racism, it’s basketball. She quit the team," another fan commented on the expected reaction from the fans. "It's normal that people boo her, she only went to Indiana to scam the Fever," one fan said.

Other fans had varying opinions about how the fans should've reacted to DeWanna Bonner.

"The fans should have remained silent. No cheers or boos," a comment read. "The boos was WEAK!!! I expected more than that," someone commented. "As it should be," a fan agreed with the boos.

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DeWanna Bonner's fiance accused the Fever fans of racism last season

Since Caitlin Clark was drafted last year by the Fever, there have been an uprise in attendance at the arena. Many fans attend games to support Clark while heckling and booing the opposing teams.

However, DeWanna Bonner's fiancee accused the crowd of being racist during the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs. The Fever matched up against the Connecticut Sun in the first round, which featured Thomas.

"I think in my 11-year career, I've never experienced the racial comments (like those) from the Indiana Fever fan base," she said. "It's unacceptable, honestly, and there's no place for it."

Thomas didn't get into the specifics of what was said to her and the Sun. However, she stood her ground and said that she doesn't want the fans to degrade the players.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash