With social media drama, performance collapses, and whispers of internal dysfunction, Indiana Fever veterans Bonner and Turner are under fire — and the fallout may be derailing Caitlin Clark’s rookie campaign before it even has a chance to take flight.

The Indiana Fever, once a team riding high on Caitlin Clark mania, now finds itself in a spiral of off-court controversy and locker room instability. At the center of the storm are two veteran players — DeWanna Bonner and Brianna Turner — whose recent actions, both on and off the court, have sparked outrage from fans and ignited internal questions about the team’s culture, chemistry, and direction.

Tensions first came to a head during a heated exchange in a game against the Las Vegas Aces, when Bonner appeared visibly frustrated following a missed call involving Clark. What might have been dismissed as a typical mid-game flare-up has since snowballed into something much more serious. Bonner has reportedly deleted nearly every Indiana Fever-related post from her social media accounts, blocked several Fever fans online, and — most conspicuously — disappeared from team activities with no official explanation beyond “personal reasons.”

Though the WNBA tends to take a more casual stance on personal leave compared to its male counterparts, Bonner’s absence — now stretching over a week — has raised eyebrows. Fans have noticed that even her banner at the team’s home arena has been taken down. Speculation is rampant, ranging from retirement rumors to reports that Bonner, at 37, simply can’t keep up with the speed and expectations of a team centered around a generational rookie talent like Caitlin Clark.

If Bonner’s situation is mysterious, Brianna Turner’s is maddening. Once seen as a promising big with defensive upside, Turner has become a liability on the court — stone hands, blown layups, zero interior presence. In a recent game, Clark threaded a perfect pass to Turner on a critical possession late in the fourth quarter. Turner froze, passed up an open layup, and killed the momentum. Fans didn’t forget.

The numbers back up the frustration: Turner is ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every major statistical category for frontcourt players. She averaged just one point per game last season on a tanking team, and hasn’t shown meaningful improvement with the Fever. Her presence on the floor is beginning to feel less like a coaching decision and more like a stubborn mistake.

And that puts even more pressure on Head Coach Stephanie White, who’s already facing a tidal wave of criticism for failing to develop a cohesive offense around Clark. Instead of utilizing the dynamic pick-and-roll sets and high-tempo freedom that Clark thrived under at Iowa, White has stuck to a rigid, slow-paced system that too often isolates Clark and allows defenses to trap her at will. Clark’s efficiency has dipped, her frustration is mounting, and postgame comments like “we need clearer vision” suggest that the disconnect is growing.

In fact, things have become so strained within the organization that sources close to the team say Indiana’s front office is now in advanced discussions with Lisa Bluder — Clark’s college coach — to replace White. Bluder, who helped Clark become a national superstar at Iowa, would bring a system tailored to Clark’s strengths and a fresh start for a team that desperately needs one.

For now, the Fever’s front office faces a painful truth: keeping an aging vet like Bonner who may have checked out, and a non-contributing big like Turner, could be sabotaging Caitlin Clark’s rookie season — and potentially her long-term development. The drama is also alienating fans who rallied behind Clark with hopes that she could elevate the franchise to new heights.

WNBA fans are some of the most loyal in all of sports, but they’re not blind. They see the disconnect. They feel the tension. And they’re demanding change.

Whether Bonner returns, retires, or is traded elsewhere remains uncertain. Whether Turner can rediscover the form that once made her a promising defender is equally unclear. But one thing is certain: the Indiana Fever can’t afford to waste the unique, transformative talent they have in Caitlin Clark.

The time for decisions is now. The future of the franchise — and perhaps the league’s biggest star — depends on it.