DeWanna Bonner's exit from Fever sparks New look at Clark incident
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Her departure now has people revisiting a controversial moment from last season, one involving Caitlin Clark and Bonner's former team, the Connecticut Sun.
Bonner's Departure From Indiana Reopens Discussion on Past Tension
During a game between the Sun and the Fever, DiJonai Carrington (now with the Dallas Wings) made contact with Clark's face while attempting to deflect a pass. It led to a swirl of social media debate and later became a topic in Christine Brennan's book, "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports."
After that game, Brennan directly asked Carrington whether she had meant to strike Clark in the eye.
"I don't even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye," Carrington said. "That doesn't even make sense to me. But no, I didn't. I didn't know I hit her, actually. I was trying to make a play on the ball and I guess I followed through and I hit her, so obviously it's never intentional."
When Brennan followed up by asking whether Carrington and teammate Marina Mabrey had laughed about the incident afterward, Carrington denied it again.
"I just told you I didn't even know I hit her, so I can't laugh about something I didn't know happened."
Bonner, who had not been part of the initial exchange, later approached Brennan to defend Carrington. According to Brennan's account, Bonner walked over and said, 'You disrespected my teammate.' Brennan tried to explain herself, but Bonner repeated the statement multiple times, adding, 'You attacked my teammate.'
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While the exchange was tense, Brennan emphasized there was no shouting or aggression. 'Bonner never raised her voice, nor did I,' she wrote. 'It was the kind of tense but predictable conversation I have had dozens of times with professional athletes. When a journalist is doing her job properly and an athlete is doing theirs, they don't always agree.'
Now that Bonner's time in Indiana is over, that moment, and her fierce loyalty to Carrington, has resurfaced in the public conversation. Though Bonner didn't mention the incident in her departure statement, the lingering memories of that clash between the Fever and the Sun remain part of her narrative.
Whether or not that history played a role in her quick exit from Indiana is unclear. But in today's WNBA, where stars like Caitlin Clark draw national headlines, even minor moments can leave lasting echoes.
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