The Phoenix Mercury announced Tuesday that they've signed veteran DeWanna Bonner as a free agent, a move reported by ESPN on Monday.
The deal returns Bonner to where she began her 16-year WNBA career as Phoenix's first-round pick in 2009. Bonner previously played 10 seasons for the Mercury, sitting out 2017 to give birth to twins, and was a three-time All-Star in addition to winning championships in 2009 and 2014.
Bonner signed with the Indiana Fever as a free agent in February but lasted just nine games with the team. After losing her starting role three games into the season, Bonner missed five games because of personal reasons and was waived by the Fever on June 25. Multiple teams pursued Bonner after she cleared waivers and became a free agent.
In Phoenix, she rejoins fiancée Alyssa Thomas, who joined the Mercury via sign-and-trade this offseason. Bonner and Thomas played together the past five seasons with the Connecticut Sun, advancing to the WNBA semifinals or beyond each year.
An All-Star in 2023 and 2024, when she played all 40 games both seasons, Bonner was off to a slower start in Indiana. Her averages of 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds are the lowest marks of her career at age 37.
Nonetheless, adding Bonner strengthens a Phoenix team that has been one of the league's most improved after landing All-Stars Thomas and Satou Sabally. At 13-6, the Mercury are second in the WNBA standings, a half-game ahead of the defending champion New York Liberty.
Phoenix's roster has featured five rookies, all of them signed as free agents. The Mercury waived one of those players, center Murjanatu Musa, to make room on the roster for Bonner.