DeWanna Bonner has accomplished great things in her career. She has won two championships, she won Sixth Woman of the Year three times in a row, and she is a six-time All-Star.
Bonner won her first championship in her rookie season, as the Phoenix Mercury finished 23-11 and took down the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indiana Fever. The Sixth Woman of the Year averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds during the regular season, and she averaged 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in that postseason.
Aug 26, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) is defended by Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) as she drives to the basket during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Since then, Bonner has continued to shine over the years, and this season, she returned to where it all started. She signed a deal with the Mercury after she started the season with the Fever. Before joining Indiana, she was one of the Connecticut Sun’s stars, as they acquired her in a deal with Phoenix before the 2020 season.
Bonner has had an excellent career, and before she got started in the WNBA, she had great years with the Auburn Tigers. She had big games with the Tigers, including her 35-point game against Tennessee.
The Mercury All-Star averaged 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks in her four years. Her final season was her best, as she averaged 21.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 assists. She won SEC Player of the Year, and she put teams like the Mercury on notice.
Jan 25, 2009; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers guard DeWanna Bonner (24) celebrates her team’s win over the Tennessee Volunteers at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. Bonner led all scorers with 35 points. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images / John Reed-Imagn Images
One thing that is interesting about Bonner’s ties to Auburn is that she is the only active WNBA player who attended that school. There have been eight players from Auburn who have been in the WNBA.
The earliest players were Ruthie Bolton, Tara Williams and Chantel Tremitiere. They were in the league in 1997, and in Williams’ case, she played for the Mercury. Carolyn Young was drafted in 1999, but made her league debut in 2001.
Le’coe Willingham and Mandisa Stevenson attended Auburn, and they both played for the Mercury at some point in their career. Then, Whitney Boddie was drafted the same year that Bonner was. She wasa second round pick, and she played for the Sacramento Monarchs.
Jan 29, 2009; Athens, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers guard/forward DeWanna Bonner (24) shoots at the basket in front of Georgia Bulldogs forwards Angel Robinson (33) and Porsha Phillips (21) in the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Auburn 67-58. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Bonner is still going strong, and she helped the Mercury during their playoff run. She knows what it takes to win, and next season, she may help Phoenix win it all.
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