Free agent forward DeWanna Bonner signs with Phoenix Mercury
Free agent forward DeWanna Bonner signed with the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday. She returns to the franchise that drafted her in 2009 and the team she played 10 seasons with.
PHOENIX — Free agent forward DeWanna Bonner signed with the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.
In a corresponding move, the Mercury waived Murjanatu Musa to make a roster spot available for Bonner. Before signing Bonner, the Mercury’s roster was currently at the league-maximum of 12 players.
Bonner was waived by the Indiana Fever on June 25, and teams had 48 hours to claim Bonner off waivers. Since no team claimed her, she became an unrestricted free agent on June 27.
Bonner signed a one-year unprotected contract with Indiana for $200,000 in February; therefore, if a team claimed Bonner off waivers, they would have needed to pay the rest of her salary this season.
Since she cleared waivers and became an unrestricted free agent, Bonner was able to sign a proration of the veteran minimum of $78,831 (for players with at least three years of WNBA experience).
Before signing Bonner, the Mercury had $69,779 in cap space. Bonner signed for $63,721 for the rest of the season. The proration of the veteran minimum was $43,721, and she received an extra $20,000.
Bonner started the first three games of the season for the Fever, but Indiana later moved Bonner to a bench role in favor of starting Lexi Hull.
Bonner averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals, while shooting 34.5% from the field and 36% from deep in nine games with the Fever this season.
Bonner last played on June 10 and had been away from the Fever for the next two weeks for what the team called “personal reasons.”
Bonner was drafted fifth overall by the Mercury in 2009 and played 10 seasons in Phoenix.
She won the championship with the Mercury during her rookie season in 2009 and later went on to win another title in 2014.
While in Phoenix, Bonner was a three-time Sixth Woman of the Year (2009-11) and named to the All-WNBA First Team (2015).
Bonner ranks second in games played (335) and third in points (4,820), rebounds (2,072), assists (705) and blocks (237) in Mercury franchise history.
The six-time All-Star (three All-Star appearances with Phoenix) was traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2020 for three first-round picks.
Bonner played five years in Connecticut and helped the Sun reach the playoffs all five seasons.
In 2022, Bonner and the Sun advanced to the WNBA Finals but ultimately fell to the Las Vegas Aces in four games.
Bonner is engaged to Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. The pair played five seasons together in Connecticut and became engaged in 2023.