DeWanna Bonner signed a contract buyout last week with the Phoenix Mercury after the team was eliminated from the playoffs, and announced she'll finish the season with the Atlanta Dream days later. The move to Atlanta was a smart one for Bonner and for the Dream — the team has lacked enough presence at the three and four, something Bonner can provide in spades.
Bonner was part of the Dream's 89-81 win over the Minnesota Lynx Sunday, a needed boost for a team that's playoffs-bound. Bonner played 17 minutes and racked up 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal off the bench, which is especially impressive under Karl Smesko's system.
But maybe even more importantly, Bonner made it clear she knows exactly what she's doing when it comes to basketball and her future.
DeWanna Bonner has been here before
Bonner memorably began the 2025 season with the Indiana Fever. She made the move to the Phoenix Mercury about midway through the season, a shocker that simultaneously thrilled Phoenix fans and angered those in Indiana. Though some thought Bonner might crash and burn in Phoenix, her performances suggested otherwise, and she ultimately made it clear that she made the right call.
It's already looking like the same is true for the shift to Atlanta. In addition to her stats, Bonner also brings a strong veteran presence that the Dream needs. The team has plenty of players who have been in the WNBA for some time, but Bonner's got 17 seasons under her belt — she knows what it takes to win, how to navigate the enormous attention most of the league is facing, and, as Smesko put it last night, gives the team a "calming presence."
The entire league is about to take a multi-week break as Team USA battles overseas in the 2026 FIBA World Cup. The Americans play their first game on September 4 at 8:15 a.m. EST when they meet the Chinese National Team.
That break will give Bonner a chance to catch up on the Dream's playbook while her teammates Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard suit up (Isobel Borlase will also play for Australia, and Sika Kone will represent Mali). Bonner will also have the opportunity to reconnect with her loved ones who live in the region, and to lock in for what could be a very exciting, and possibly entirely unpredictable, playoffs run with the Atlanta Dream.
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