There’s an old saying in basketball: a series doesn’t really begin until someone wins on the other team’s home court.
That truth hangs heavy over the 2025 WNBA Finals — the Las Vegas Aces versus the Phoenix Mercury — where the Aces lead 2–0 but have yet to steal one on the road. Vegas did what it was supposed to do with home-court advantage: win in front of its fans, hold serve, protect the desert. Phoenix, meanwhile, has done the opposite — failing to swipe a game in Vegas, now forced to claw back four wins in five tries to keep the dream alive.
That’s a tall mountain to climb. But for many fans, the real drama in this Finals isn’t just on the scoreboard — it’s in the storylines swirling around two women: A’ja Wilson and DeWanna Bonner.
And in a twist few could’ve imagined a year ago, a wave of fans — especially Indiana Fever supporters — have suddenly found themselves doing something they swore they’d never do: rooting for A’ja Wilson.
Not because they’ve suddenly fallen in love with her. But because, thanks to DeWanna Bonner, she’s become the lesser villain.
The Unlikely Shift
For years, A’ja “Special Whistle” Wilson has been one of the most polarizing figures in the WNBA. Brilliant on the court, unstoppable in the paint, yet constantly dogged by critics who say she gets too many calls, too much favoritism, and too little humility.
Her public reaction to Caitlin Clark’s arrival only poured gasoline on that perception. There were the smirks during interviews, the private jokes with Becky Hammon, the offhand “privilege” comments shared with teammate Kelsey Plum — and the silence when the Nike shoe deal controversy erupted, leaving Clark to weather the backlash alone.
Fans noticed. They remembered.
So when the Finals began, few outside Vegas were cheering for Wilson. She was the favorite, but never the fan favorite.
Then came Bonner.
The same DeWanna Bonner who once walked into Indianapolis preaching leadership and loyalty — the same veteran who told rookie Aaliyah Boston, “I can help you win, I can teach you something,” — has since become one of the most divisive players in the league.
Because she didn’t just ask out. She walked out.
The Fever Fallout
The Fever welcomed Bonner like royalty. She was supposed to be the veteran voice beside Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and Caitlin Clark — the experienced presence to steady a young roster still learning to win.
She said all the right things. Smiled in all the right photos. She was on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during National Girls and Women in Sports Day, laughing and signing autographs. She was part of the viral Sports Illustrated cover alongside Clark, Boston, and Mitchell — the image meant to symbolize the Fever’s bright new era.
Indiana fell in love.
And then, she quit.
Not traded. Not benched. Quit.
Without warning, Bonner stopped showing up, leaving teammates confused and fans blindsided. Days later, she landed in Phoenix — the same Mercury she’s now trying to lead against the defending champions.
To Fever fans, it felt like betrayal.
“She took the love, the platform, the spotlight — then dipped,” one fan wrote on X. “We supported her, and she just ghosted us.”
By the time the Fever visited Phoenix later that season, emotions were raw. The crowd booed. Tempers flared. And in one viral clip, Bonner appeared to confront Lexie Hull mid-game, mouthing something that many fans swear looked like, “You’re a bum.”
Whether that’s true or not almost didn’t matter — the image stuck.
This wasn’t leadership. This was bitterness.
Playing the Victim
And then came the interview.
After Phoenix reached the Finals, Bonner was asked how it felt to be “back on top.” Her answer raised eyebrows everywhere.
“It’s been tough,” she said softly. “I went through a lot, especially the type of bullying and things like that… but my teammates, my family, my kids — they brought the joy back to me.”
To her, it was a reflection. To many Fever fans, it was revisionist history.
Cyberbullying? Sure, no one condones online hate. But the narrative that Indiana hadn’t embraced her felt like a slap in the face to the same fans who once gave her standing ovations and endless affection.
“She said she finally feels love again,” one local columnist wrote. “Did she forget what she said in Indy — about how moved she was by the fans, how much she ‘felt the love’ there too?”
The irony wasn’t lost on anyone.
Bonner’s story had twisted itself into something unrecognizable — a redemption arc without redemption, a comeback without consequence.
The Rooting Dilemma
So here we are — the Finals.
The Las Vegas Aces, led by A’ja Wilson, standing opposite Bonner’s Phoenix Mercury. Two teams loaded with history, pride, and attitude. And yet, the emotional undercurrent isn’t about basketball — it’s about loyalty, respect, and the messy fallout of perception.
A’ja Wilson, the woman once mocked for her “special whistle,” suddenly looks like the mature one. The professional. The constant.
Meanwhile, Bonner — a four-time All-Star and two-time champion — is being cast as the league’s latest villain.
And fans, particularly those in Indiana, are enjoying every minute of her struggles.
In Game 1, she scored just 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting. The Mercury lost 89–86 after choking at the line.
In Game 2, a 91–78 blowout, Bonner managed only four points.
Social media erupted.
“We don’t like A’ja Wilson,” one viral post read, “but we sure ain’t rooting for DeWanna Bonner.”
Another fan quipped:
“Only Bonner could make me cheer for the whistle.”
The sentiment is everywhere. People who once refused to support Wilson are now quietly whispering, “Go Aces.”
Lesser of Two Evils
This, perhaps, is the strangest dynamic in modern WNBA fandom — the moral tug-of-war between two players fans claim not to like, forced to choose which one deserves the lesser wrath.
For now, A’ja Wilson is winning that contest, too.
“Sports is funny like that,” one Fever radio host said during a postgame segment. “You spend a year rolling your eyes at a player, then someone else comes along and makes you rethink it. That’s Bonner right now. People didn’t switch sides for love — they switched out of spite.”
And in a league built on rivalries and redemption arcs, spite is still currency.
A Fever That Lingers
Lexie Hull hasn’t said a word publicly about the confrontation. Neither has Aaliyah Boston. Caitlin Clark — who has mastered the art of silence amid chaos — has kept her focus on offseason workouts and rebuilding the Fever’s chemistry after their bruising campaign.
But inside the Fever organization, there’s a shared understanding: the Bonner chapter left a mark.
It reminded everyone what real leadership looks like — and what it doesn’t.
The Verdict
If Vegas wins this series, A’ja Wilson will collect another ring, another Finals MVP nod, and perhaps — unintentionally — a slice of redemption she never asked for.
If Phoenix somehow rallies, Bonner will get her revenge — but not her forgiveness.
Because even if she hoists the trophy, she’ll do it in front of fans who still remember the way she walked away from Indiana — the photos, the promises, the cover shoots, and the love that she herself said she’d never felt before.
That’s the thing about sports. Memories don’t fade as fast as jerseys change.
For now, the Finals continue. The saying still holds true — a series doesn’t really begin until someone wins on someone else’s floor.
But for the fans who’ve already chosen their side, this series started long before the tip-off.
And against all odds, they’re shouting something they never thought they’d say:
“Go, A’ja.”
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