Kahleah Copper on fans booing DeWanna Bonner: ‘I don’t understand. She’s a legend’
Phoenix Mercury teammate Kahleah Copper stands up for DeWanna Bonner after Bonner was booed in her return to Indiana.
DeWanna Bonner was waived by the Fever after just nine games when the WNBA All-Star claimed she wasn’t a good fit with the team.Bonner signed with Phoenix on July 7 and returned to Indiana for the first time on Wednesday night.
INDIANAPOLIS — Kahleah Copper did not hold back when asked about the reception Phoenix Mercury teammate DeWanna Bonner received from the Indiana Fever faithful in her return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
Disrespectful. Distasteful. Unnecessary.
“I just don’t understand,” Copper said following the Mercury’s 107-101 loss. “Like, she’s a legend. All the things she’s done for the league — the disrespect, I just can’t get down with it.”
Boos rained down from the rafters when Bonner checked in for the first time with about seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, then resumed when she took possession for the first time and really ramped up when she was fouled on a 3-point attempt and stepped to the line for free throws, with some fans yelling “quitter.”
And, as Copper observed, it continued the entire game.
“It’s very distasteful what their fan base is doing when it comes to DB, because she is just the sweetest soul,” she said. “The situation didn’t work for her and it wasn’t what she wanted or whatever, but we don’t need all of that. It’s just unnecessary.”
Indiana’s major offseason acquisition, Bonner — the most-tenured player in the WNBA — appeared in nine games with the Fever, then stepped away for five games due to personal reasons, during which time reports began surfacing she did not intend to return to the Fever. Sure enough, Bonner requested a trade and was ultimately waived on June 25 when the organization was unable to find a suitable partner.
She signed with the Mercury on July 7, rejoining the franchise that originally drafted her – and won two championships during her 10-season tenure. The move also reunited Bonner with her fianceé, forward Alyssa Thomas.
Bonner did not visibly react (or engage) with the crowd, but Thomas waved on the crowd after Bonner was fouled in the first quarter, then could be seen on the broadcast apparently yelling at fans in the stands.
“I didn’t see that, (but) I would guess so. AT is a competitive player. Just like their players talk to their fans, our players are going to do the same,” Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts said.
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“I thought (Bonner) handled it fine,” he continued. “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.”
Bonner finished with four points and a rebound in 20:40 minutes of playing time.
Asked about Bonner’s return and the reception, Fever forward Aliyah Boston replied: “That’s got nothing to do with me.”
“DB returned because we were playing Phoenix, and so that happened to be that, and the fans chose what they wanted to do,” Boston said. “But for us, it’s about paying attention to what we have to do here, and that was coming in and getting a big win, which we were able to do.”
Fever coach Stephanie White, who coached Bonner for two seasons in Connecticut, said she “didn’t know anything about the reception,” and said it was weird to see her on the opposing sideline.
“At the end of the day, basketball is basketball, and relationships are relationships, and DB is one of my all-time favorites,” White said. “She has been from afar for a long time, then working with her for a number of years, she still is. And I still care about DB as a person. The business is the business, but the relationship is the most important thing. So I’m happy that she found a good landing spot; a special spot where she started her career. I’m happy for her.”
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