A contract that was supposed to last through the 2026 WNBA season barely survived four months. On Monday, the Phoenix Mercury and DeWanna Bonner pulled the plug, agreeing to a buyout that allowed the 39-year-old to chase another championship before potentially calling time on her career. Two days of speculation followed, but the destination now appears clear.
Bonner is reportedly heading to the Atlanta Dream, the very team that helped knock Phoenix out of playoff contention.
“I’m told Bonner’s deal is at the prorated max, which comes out to about $116,000,” said ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Wednesday, August 26, in a reply to her earlier post that made the announcement of Bonner’s signing with the Atlanta Dream.
Atlanta has not officially announced the signing, and Bonner has not publicly confirmed it, leaving the exact terms of the reported deal uncertain.
It all started in April, when DeWanna Bonner signed a one-year, $500,000 deal with the Phoenix Mercury for the 2026 season. The contract brought the veteran back for another run with the franchise that originally drafted her in 2009.
But the season did not quite match Bonner’s usual standards. Through 37 games, she averaged 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 39.4% from the field and 26.2% from three.
Meanwhile, Atlanta was dealing with its own problem in the frontcourt. Brionna Jones suffered a left leg injury on August 13, leaving the Dream in need of additional scoring, rebounding and experience off the bench.
Then came the game that changed the direction of Bonner’s season. Phoenix lost 99-89 to Atlanta on August 22, officially eliminating the Mercury from playoff contention while the Dream continued their push near the top of the standings.
With Phoenix’s playoff hopes gone, the situation moved quickly. Just two days later, Bonner and the Mercury agreed to a contract buyout, with GM Nick U’Ren saying the move would allow her to chase another title in what could be her final postseason.
And Phoenix did not simply walk away from the contract. Bonner’s reported buyout was worth about $451,220, more than 90% of the original $500,000 deal she had signed only months earlier.
For Phoenix, the move also opened the door to start thinking beyond 2026. The Mercury quickly used the vacant roster spot to sign Saylor Poffenbarger to a seven-day contract, giving them a chance to evaluate younger talent for the future.
Bonner’s next step was clearing waivers, which she did on August 26. Once that happened, she officially became an unrestricted free agent and was free to choose a playoff contender rather than having another team inherit her Phoenix contract.
There was still one logistical hurdle, though. Atlanta had roughly $190,663 in cap space but already carried the league maximum of 12 players on standard contracts, meaning one player would have to be waived before Bonner could officially be added.
And that is where the move becomes even more interesting. If the current seeds hold, the Dream could face fifth-place Indiana in the opening round, potentially putting Bonner against another one of her former teams almost immediately.
And Phoenix has actually been here before.
Phoenix has done this before, and the 2022 Tina Charles situation was far messier.
The Mercury announced that they had “agreed to terms on an immediate contract divorce” with Charles just 16 games into her one-year deal.
But this was not some clean mutual reset. Charles had reportedly been unhappy with her offensive role for much of the season, wanted more shots, and had repeatedly floated the idea of being traded, cut or released. The numbers were not the problem either.
She was still averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. After the split, Charles had to clear waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent, almost the same path Bonner is taking now.
While nothing is officially confirmed yet, Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese had a one-symbol reaction to the news of Bonner potentially joining her team.
“🤭,” was Reese’s subtle reaction.
Indeed, the pairing of Bonner and Reese does look like an exciting prospect. But how it pays out practically remains to be seen.
Atlanta already has a strong frontcourt lineup, featuring Angel Reese, Naz Hillmon, and Brionna Jones. So where and how does Bonner fit in?
Angel Reese is perhaps having the best season of her career so far.
Reese is averaging a career-high 16.1 points, along with 12.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. She is leading the league in rebounds and has already surpassed a few WNBA milestones this season.
Atlanta sit fourth at 25-13, and their starters have done the heavy lifting. But the bench has been a weak spot all season, and that lack of scoring could become a real problem once the playoffs tighten up.
Atlanta’s bench is averaging just 17.2 points this season, the second-lowest in the league. And this is where perhaps DeWanna Bonner comes in.
Bonner can still score, but calling her an elite shooter would be a stretch. She has averaged 14.3 points per game for her career while shooting 41.4% from the field, but her 30.2% mark from three is hardly a strength.
And there is no denying the fact that Bonner is an elite presence in the paint as well.
So this gives the Atlanta Dream a plug-and-play replacement or another option off the bench. When Reese and the other starters are off the floor, Bonner can help with rebounding while also stretching the opposing defense.
Also, the gap between Reese and Atlanta’s other rebounders is also significant, giving Bonner another clear way to contribute when the starters are off the floor.
The Dream are locked in an intense battle for the fourth seed with the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty.
Bonner will certainly add depth, and her vast playoff experience will certainly help the Atlanta team in the playoffs, especially considering that this will be a first trip to the postseason for some Atlanta players like Angel Reese.
For now, fans are eager to see Bonner in a Dream jersey.
