When Caitlin Clark returned, many Indiana Fever fans believed their struggles were finally behind them, and at first, it looked that way. The Fever won two back-to-back games, including a game against the defending champions, New York Liberty. But that momentum came to a halt when they ran into the Golden State Valkyries. Once again, the team’s flaws were exposed. And now, there’s one burning question on everyone’s mind – When is DeWanna Bonner coming back?

The Fever definitely felt the absence of DeWanna Bonner’s leadership and defensive presence in their clash against the Golden State Valkyries. Caitlin Clark struggled to find her rhythm, shooting just 3-of-14 from the field and going 0-of-7 from deep. A veteran like Bonner could’ve made a big difference, offering another scoring threat and stabilizing presence on the floor. After all, we’re talking about the league’s third all-time leading scorer here!

Up next for the Fever? A massive game against the Las Vegas Aces. And without DeWanna Bonner, the task to overcome the Aces becomes all the more difficult.

Bonner’s absence leaves a gap in Indiana’s defensive flexibility, her ability to switch across positions and anchor tough matchups is hard to replicate. With the Aces and A’ja Wilson next on the schedule, the pressure shifts to Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston to hold down the frontcourt. Wilson hasn’t missed a beat this season, continuing her MVP-level production, which makes the challenge even steeper. Coach White might have to get creative, maybe giving more minutes to Sydney Colson for some defensive spark.

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via Imago

What’s your perspective on:

Is Caitlin Clark enough to lead the Fever, or does Bonner’s absence expose deeper issues?

Have an interesting take?

Debate

But can the Fever pull off an upset? Let’s break it all down.

Can the Fever overcome Aces without DeWanna Bonner

Statistically speaking, the Fever might actually have the upper hand heading into this one. They rank 4th in both offense and defense, putting up 83.4 points per game while holding opponents to just 77.9. In contrast, the Aces are ranked 9th in the league for both offense and defense. They score 79.4 points while allowing 83.1 points per game.

Based on numbers alone, the Fever should be slight favorites. They also hold a better record at 6-6 compared to the Aces’ 5-7. On top of that, the Aces are on a three-game losing streak. But stranger things have happened in this league.

ESPN give the Aces a 60.5 % chance of coming away with a win. That likely has everything to do with the return of A’ja Wilson. While she couldn’t quite lift the Aces past the Storm, this could be the game where she fully reasserts her dominance, especially with the Fever’s frontcourt weakened by DeWanna Bonner’s absence. Do you think the Aces will be able to snap out of their losing streak? Or will the Bonner-less Fever win? Let us know down in the comments below.