The Phoenix Mercury and veteran forward DeWanna Bonner have come to terms on contract buyout which will make the 39 year old a free agent.
The move can be framed as the organization’s attempt to do right by the player, after the Mercury were officially eliminated from playoff contention following their loss to Atlanta on the weekend. By buying out her deal, Bonner can now sign with a contender ahead of the playoffs in an effort to give her one final shot at another title before a likely retirement this offseason.
“DeWanna has been an important part of our team and brought tremendous leadership, experience and competitiveness to the Mercury,” general manager Nick U’Ren said in a statement. “Because of the relationship we have with DeWanna, we worked out a buyout agreement that gives her the opportunity to chase a title in what could be her final postseason. DeWanna will always be part of the Mercury family, and we wish her all the best.”
Originally drafted 5th overall by the Mercury back in 2009, Bonner would go on to win 2x WNBA titles, 3x Sixth Woman of the Year awards, 6x All-Star selections, and all WNBA 1st team in 2015. In what’s been her 17th WNBA season, she’s currently averaging 10.6pts/6.1reb/1.5ast across 27 minutes of action per night.
“Being able to return to Phoenix and play in front of the best fans in the WNBA these past two seasons has been an incredible experience,” Bonner said via statement. “At this stage of my career, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m grateful to the Mercury for giving me the opportunity to play in what could be one of my final postseason opportunities.”
The native of Fairfield, Alabama is the league’s active points leader with 8,200 career points to her name. While she should garner significant interest from title hopefuls, one location you can likely cross off the list of suitors is Indiana. After signing with the Fever in 2025, Bonner lasted just 9 games before a mutual parting of ways led to her rejoining the Mercury.
With only a handful of games remaining before the start of the postseason, it’s likely that Bonner won’t be a free agent for long in an effort to get her acclimatized to her new team and offensive systems.
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