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After weeks of rumors, WNBA legend DeWanna Bonner officially signed with the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.
It’s officially official, she’s 🔙! pic.twitter.com/2toZ2sQ9hn
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 8, 2025
Bonner arrives in Phoenix after an ill-fated nine game stint with the Indiana Fever, who signed her in the offseason with hopes she’d be a nice veteran complement to Caitlin Clark. But the relationship deteriorated after Bonner was removed from the starting lineup just three games into the season, culminating in her eventually being waived on June 25th.
A 6x All-Star and 2x WNBA Champion, Bonner joins her fiancée Alyssa Thomas in Phoenix. Bonner previously played 10 seasons for the Mercury from 2009-2019, winning titles in 2009 and 2014.
Speaking to the media after the signing was made official yesterday, Bonner kept things straightforward when discussing her role with the Mercury this time around, who are tied for the second-best record in the league at 13-6.
“Just to be me,” Bonner said.
“I don’t have to do anything extra. I was a little worried because they’re a team that has great chemistry already so that kind of went into my decision making process as well,” she continued. “But they reassured me that they wanted me here, they needed me here. Just gonna do what I normally do that’s got me through the 16 years.”
DeWanna Bonner said her role with the Mercury is “to be me.”
She said she was worried about coming to Phoenix because the Mercury have “great chemistry already.”
“But they reassured me that they wanted me here, they needed me here.”#WNBA pic.twitter.com/yvbmHmQPkC
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) July 8, 2025
Bonner was largely ineffective in her limited time with the Fever, averaging 7.1 points on 35% shooting in 21.3 minutes of action. Now 37 years old, she was an All-Star in 2023 and 2024 with Connecticut.
In order to make room for the 16-year veteran, Phoenix were forced to part ways with center Murjanatu Musa.
Murjanatu Musa has been waived by the Mercury.
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) July 8, 2025
While Indiana fans will continue to be critical of her conduct with the Fever, Bonner ended up with the exact outcome she wanted. She’ll join an already star-studded Mercury team and get to play alongside her fiancée again after less than a year apart.
Only time will tell if Bonner can channel some of her pre-Indiana self and be a productive piece for the Mercury. As the WNBA’s third all-time leading scorer, Phoenix will hope Bonner’s catalogue of experience comes in handy as the team continues through the summer.
