Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner gets brutally honest ahead of possible Fever showdown originally appeared on The Sporting News
DeWanna Bonner’s shot wasn’t falling. The veteran star of the Phoenix Mercury’s bench had endured a brutal 5-for-28 shooting slump entering Sunday night’s Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx — and the Mercury needed her to find a rhythm before the shorthanded Lynx forced the series back to Minnesota.
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Bonner obliged. The 38-year-old drilled three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of Game 4, helping the Mercury overcome a 13-point deficit to eliminate the Lynx, 86-81, and reach the WNBA Finals for the first time in four years.
MORE: Phoenix Mercury advance to WNBA Finals
Phoenix will play for its fourth championship in franchise history thanks in part to Bonner, who endured as tough a season as she has in her decorated 17-year career. Following an unhappy stint with the Indiana Fever to begin 2025, Bonner yearned to return “home” to Phoenix, where she spent the first 11 years of her pro career and won two championships.
In a revealing press conference following Sunday’s game, Bonner opened up about the personal and professional difficulties she has faced. She does not believe she has overcome the “whirlwind” of emotions that her summer departure from Indiana produced — especially as it pertained to the online bullying she received.
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“I’m just thankful for my teammates, my family, my kids,” Bonner told the media. “I don’t think I’m over it, but I’m just gonna live in this moment with them. I’ve been riding the wave with them and how much they love it, they brought joy back to me.”
Bonner, whose 7.807 regular-season points rank third in WNBA history, correctly identified the Fever as a championship threat when she joined them as a free agent in February. Nearly eight months on, and she is preparing for the possibility that she will meet her former Indiana teammates again on the biggest stage — should the Fever defeat the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the other semifinal series on Tuesday night.
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