DeWanna Bonner is amidst one of the finest seasons of her career, pushing the Connecticut Sun another step further towards that elusive WNBA title with her play in the postseason thus far.
Connecticut is tied with the New York Liberty at 1 game apiece heading into Friday’s crucial Game 3 showdown, with its championship hopes alive in large part because of continual standout performances from their veteran forward. Through 5 games in the 2023 postseason, Bonner is averaging 21 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists and shooting 34.9% from three on nearly 9 attempts per game. She’s spent the bulk of her minutes guarding centers, giving up size and strength, but fighting with activity and timing.
Fourteen seasons into her illustrious tenure in the league, Bonner is still evolving, highlighting the versatility of her game and skill-set.
Spurred on by a new coaching staff and an unfortunate injury to franchise centerpiece Brionna Jones, the Sun fully leaned into a spread out read-and-react system, predicated on movement, cutting, and quick decisions with minimal play calling, a far cry from past few iterations of the Sun.
“I’ve never seen the game through this lens before,” Bonner said.
At 6’4 with an audacious shooting stroke, crafty handles, immaculate footwork, and a wide array of moves inside the arc, Bonner has a blend of size, athleticism, and court vision that’s a rarity in every walk of basketball. At 36, she remains of the premier forwards and players in the game, earning her fifth All-Star appearance, second in her four seasons in Uncasville.
History Made 🙌
With that three, DeWanna Bonner sets the @ConnecticutSun franchise record for points in a game with 36 PTS and counting! pic.twitter.com/TNDJ9LjK5n
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 9, 2023
It’s one thing to hear or read that Bonner is 36, but it’s another to contextualize it.
From the 2009 Draft, two players are still playing in the league, Bonner and Mystics guard Kristi Toliver. Kia Vaughn retired at the end of the 2022 season, moving into a basketball operations position with the Atlanta Dream. Renee Montgomery is a part owner of the Dream. Courtney Paris is an assistant coach on the bench in the playoffs with the Dallas Wings, and Briann January, who went sixth just after Bonner in the draft, is on the sidelines with Connecticut, her first season coaching in the WNBA.
“This All-Star…it meant a lot to me,” says Bonner, pondering.
“Everybody’s retired, and here I am… it’s kinda wild, but I’m also soaking it in, because I know I’m inching towards that…this may be the last one and I may not reach another one.”
An off-season wrist injury required surgery, the first of her pro career. Bonner prides herself on her consistency, level-headedness, and experience; having no prior experience in dealing with injury presented a steep learning curve. She had to seek multiple opinions until she found the right diagnosis and approach before going from there.
Bonner’s sister, Erica McCall, recalls seeing DeWanna the last time they played one another in Turkey in the spring (McCall played for Botas and Bonner, Mersin), Bonner heavily taping up her wrist weeks after surgery.
“It was a tough situation for her, but she knows how to push past these extraordinary situations, turning them into the best years of her career,” says McCall.
McCall knew Bonner would be an All-Star this season before the season even started, proudly telling anyone in earshot that she’d see them in Vegas, because her sister was on her way.
January, who spent her final on-court days as a player with Bonner in Mersin is continually amazed by Bonner, seeing the work she’s put in and her accomplishments from afar as a competitor, up close as a teammate, and with a new perspective as her coach.
“I can’t even explain it, like you have to FEEL it,” says January musing at Bonner’s longevity and level of play.
Everything is harder as your body ages, you have to be hyperaware of what you’re eating and drinking, your recovery postgame and practice has to be consistent and more prep is required to warmup beforehand. It can become a grueling process, and you routine becomes even more important.
“She’s literally superhuman to me,” says January.
But, in Year 14, Bonner still has the same resolve and demeanor on the court that January had grown to admire when they were rivals in Phoenix and Indiana on rookie-scale contracts.
She was the first player on the practice court during the Sun’s training camp, always grabbing a ball and a coach to get shots up. She walked through everything with the same meticulousness, showing the rookies in camp what it means to be and what is required to be a professional basketball player day to day.
DeWanna Bonner tonight:
41 PTS
16-23 FG (69.6%)
5-7 3P (71.4%)The only other time a WNBA player had 40+ PTS and 5+ 3PM while shooting over 65% from the field and 70% from three?
You have to go back to the 2nd month of the league's existence: Cynthia Cooper on July 25, 1997.
— Across the Timeline (@WBBTimeline) June 9, 2023
That approach along with a never-too-high, never-too-low mentality, is integral to who Bonner is and part of what’s made her one of the most lethal scorers in the league’s history.
When she scored a career-high and Sun-record 41 points against the Aces in June, all she could think about was how ready she was to move on.
“I went home and told Alyssa (Thomas), geez I wish literally people would just forget about it,” says Bonner.
It’s not in an ungrateful sense; all she wants is to win. She’s not focused on what just happened unless she’s trying to improve from it, part of what ironically makes the 41-point outburst stand out even more.
The game prior, also against the Aces, Bonner scored five points, which would wind up her season low and the Sun would lose a close contest. After the game, she hopped on FaceTime with her father, Greg McCall, and they poured over her film on Synergy together, dissecting her game, pinpointing where she lacked aggression, hesitated, and shots she could’ve taken or passes she could’ve made.
Then she dropped 41 the next game and handed the Aces’ their first loss of the season.
She moved into top-ten in scoring all-time in W history this season, finishing the regular season knocking on top-five. She’s now fifth in all-time playoff scoring. She’s a five-time All-Star, three-time Sixth Player of the Year, two-time All-WNBA honoree, two-time WNBA champion, an All-American at Auburn, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and was the first player from Alabama selected to the McDonald’s High School All-American game.
Bonner’s resume speaks for itself, one of the most accomplished and decorated players in the history of basketball; not bad for a kid from Fairfield.
“This was built from the ground up,” says Bonner.
Built by Birmingham
Bonner openly admits that she’s glad she didn’t grow up in the social media era, laughing that she was in computer lab at Auburn signing up for Facebook. She flourished and grew with minimal spotlight on her until she really took off on the AAU circuit late in high school.
“Most people didn’t know about little Birmingham, Alabama,” Bonner said. “So it just felt like I worked for it and worked for it and I’m supposed to be here, you know?”
She feels grounded in her work and the way she came up. She has an incredible ability to separate the game from life, using basketball as an outlet, being able to focus on her craft, but being able to maintain balance off of the hardwood, staying present in her surroundings.
Bonner grew up across the street from Legion Field, the former home of Alabama football and the infamous Iron Bowl.
Elyton Village is a public housing project just off Center Street and Graymont Avenue; it’s where Greg grew up and was home for DeWanna, moving there shortly after she was born.
“Growing up there, sometimes things happen, and you’re not in the best environment… but it was a loving environment most of the time,” says Greg.
Much of his family lived in and around Elyton and were constantly around DeWanna, doting on her. People looked out for DeWanna around the neighborhood, because she was “Lefty’s” daughter. She was always headed to the nearby courts to play in runs or work on her game, says Greg.
Greg, currently the Head Coach of Cal State Bakersfield’s women’s program, was a freshman in college in Bakersfield when DeWanna was born. He was mostly out in California as she was growing up, eventually working to play professionally after his college career ended, but he always found his way out to Alabama.
Once she was 8, and Greg was more settled in his career, DeWanna would come out and visit him for 6-to-8 weeks during the summer. Greg was always coaching and around the game, and so was DeWanna.
He’d make a point to teach her two or three new facets of the game each summer, and then they’d talk on the phone after she went back to Alabama and tell him all about what she was practicing, promising that she was still working on and emphasizing what he told her. Sure enough, each summer, DeWanna would come back to California with an even more refined game, steadily building out her repertoire throughout her childhood.
She contemplated moving to live with her father prior to her freshman year of high school; she would’ve played on the same high school team as future UCLA star and WNBA guard (now Phoenix’s head coach) Nikki Blue.
All of DeWanna’s friends were back in Alabama and she wanted to stay to play with them at Fairfield High School, as well as staying to play AAU summer ball. This proved pivotal as DeWanna would follow most of her teammates to Auburn, just over two hours southeast of Birmingham, nestled against the Georgia border.
Bonner had a plethora of offers, highly regarded as a recruit, but she wanted to stay close by home and near her family. Even nearly two decades since she stepped foot on campus in 2005, her name dominates the leaderboards and record books in Tiger lore and history.
Auburn is where Bonner developed and perfected her patented step through, something she credits to then-assistant coach and former Tennessee great, Daedra Charles. In spite of her individual and team success, she didn’t consider the idea of the WNBA until late in her college career. She didn’t have cable growing up or access to games, so even by the time she was drafted, she didn’t have much of an impression of the league.
Bonner and some of the team were out at a mall her junior year, and she pointed out a jacket she saw and loved, either at Nordstrom or Saks, but immediately wrote it off because it was name brand. Auburn assistant Kerry Cremeans weighed in that Bonner would be able to afford that some day soon once she went pro.
“It wasn’t even about the money,” says Bonner.
“I just was like wow, that was the first time I even had thought or had someone bring up the WNBA. I’m just happy to be in college playing at this point from my childhood.”
It set the seed of possibility that she didn’t even recognize was on the table. That seed sprouted and further developed as Washington Mystics staffers came out to multiple of her games during Auburn’s 30 win season in 2008-09, her senior year.
Closer to the draft itself, she had a phone call with Phoenix head coach Corey Gaines, talks and interviews leading up became more prevalent, but she still didn’t really know what to expect. She didn’t find an agent until just before the draft and didn’t have an inkling of where she would wind up on draft night.
“The Most Southern Western State There Is”
Coming out of college into the draft, the world of basketball suddenly expanded astronomically for DeWanna. Simultaneously, it also became more clear.
The Mystics drafted Maryland star Marissa Coleman at 2, Kristi Toliver went third to the Chicago Sky, and the Minnesota Lynx selected Renee Montgomery with the 4th pick. The Phoenix Mercury and Corey Gaines were waiting for Bonner at 5, ecstatic with her falling to them.
“He (Corey) thought she was gonna be gone, so when she fell to fifth, he went crazy, and of course I did too, because I was hoping that he got her,” says Greg.
Greg and Corey had just spent time together in the early 2000s coaching in the (then) D-League as assistants with the Bakersfield Jam, and had also built up a relationship through playing professionally and in Summer League.
Greg preferred to let his children’s games speak for themselves, not wanting to overstep as a parent or coach. But, when Corey followed his former college head coach, Paul Westhead, to the Phoenix Mercury in 2006, Greg made a point to highlight that DeWanna was pretty darned good and looked to have a bright pro future.
“I told him about her, and he just kind of took it for granted as like, yeah, every parent thinks their kid is good,” says Greg.
“He went to watch her play in the SEC Tournament, and he was like, ‘Is that Lefty’s daughter?!’ and one thing led to another and he got to draft her… so it all worked out good, and I already knew what she was in for when she was going there (to Phoenix).”
Arizona is “the most southern western state there is,” as Greg describes it. The connection to Corey, bringing immediate familiarity and comfortability, along with Phoenix’s southern feel made transitioning out of Alabama easier. A lot of the same restaurant chains were in Phoenix as Alabama at the time and it wasn’t a bustling city as one might expect, but rather laid back and slower paced.
It was the first time in Bonner’s life that she’d lived outside the state of Alabama. If the team market itself was near-perfect, the roster fit for Bonner with the Mercury was even more so.
Although she would wind up playing all over the court in the coming years, she spent the majority of her rookie season in 2009 backing up Le’coe Willingham at the 4, often the first player off the bench. Gaines wanted her to come in, play one position, nail down the intricacies of it, and grow from there, simplifying her development while allowing her to impact.
“It’s an important position… you’ve got to play the point guard, you have to be able to pass the ball, cut, post up, shoot the three… you have to be able to do everything,” says Greg.
The ability to adapt her game to whatever roster, impacting the game in multiple facets, was on full display immediately.
“To this day, I still reminisce, I still think about it (DeWanna’s importance to Phoenix)… probably the most versatile player in our league that we’ve ever seen,” says Diana Taurasi.
Briann January says there isn’t really a comparison for DeWanna, but highlights some of the players of the past and present that had a similar array of skills.
“Defensive-minded and can guard 1-5, we’ve legit had her guard 1-5 this year, which is unreal…three-level scoring, guard ability, at her size there are a select few players in this league that can do that…Tina Thompson, she was Breanna Stewart before Breanna Stewart, before Delle Donne… she was doing it and doing it very well. Baby DeWanna was running off of stagger screens,” says January before laughing at the last sentiment.
January found an immediate respect for DeWanna as they faced off against one another with Phoenix and Indiana in the 2009 Finals, both playing significant roles off the bench. The skill jumped off the court to Briann, but her competitive fire, something she felt they shared, was even more palpable.
“She will cut your neck off, and that is one thing we were always on the same page on,” Taurasi said. “No matter what happened, we wanted to win the game.”
Playing for a title team and with Taurasi was vital for Bonner. The standard was set for her immediately.
“This is what it takes to win a championship, this is the feeling. I want nothing less than this…that shaped my mindset for what I wanted to be in the league,” says Bonner.
She and Taurasi are still close, but naturally don’t talk as frequently, both parents and still engulfed by the professional game. They became one another’s “safe space” over the years together in Phoenix.
“She helped me grow from a kid to a professional,” says Bonner.
DT is DeWanna’s “GOAT,” the player who guided her and demanded more out of her as a rookie, but also the person who took her to the mall after a double-double bet and bought her a new backpack; Bonner still has the bag, a Louis Vuitton backpack that she uses to this day 14 years later.
In some ways, that bag seems to symbolize so much of what makes up Bonner as a person and basketball player. She doesn’t care much about the individual achievements, the recognition, material things; she admires and appreciates effort and thoughtfulness above all.
She just wants to win, which drove her to signing with the Sun in 2020, seeing a young team on the rise that she felt she could help take the next step.
Peace and Balance in Uncasville
Bonner’s first season with Connecticut took place in the bubble due to COVID-19. The Sun went 10-12, but were competitive in the playoffs, impressive considering that Jonquel Jones opted out due to health concerns (2nd team All-WNBA in 2019 when the Sun made a run to the Finals).
The bubble was about growth for the Sun on the court, and growth off the court for DeWanna and first time teammate, now fiancé, Alyssa Thomas.
“It was literally nothing to do there (the bubble) but spend time together, we were there like three months, every day together, so that just became our normal routine. And now, when we’re here (Connecticut), you just add two crazies (DeWanna’s twins, Cali and Demi) to the bunch…we were both just at a place in our lives when we met where it was like, ‘OK, we’re gonna make this work,'” says Bonner.
AT and DB are tying the knot 🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/XJEy5WfaFg
— Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) July 21, 2023
Erica was in the bubble with the Dream and Lynx, witnessing their growth together in all facets.
“They started off kind of coy and shy around one another,” Erica said. “As time went on, they became this dynamic duo.”
They’d never played together in the W or overseas. Thomas had a strong impression of DeWanna’s game already before she joined her team, but DeWanna was taken aback by Thomas. She knew she was good, but acquired an even better appreciation during their first practice together.
“I literally told her when I first got here, Damn, I didn’t know you were that good…I legit looked at her one day and was like, ‘I’m sorry, I owe you an apology,'” says Bonner.
On the court, the pair are demonstrative, they’re expressive, playing the game with the same fiery passion and spirit. They could not be further from their on-court personas the second they leave the hardwood.
They’re both quiet and reserved, self-described as homebodies. DeWanna is more outward with jokes and a bubbly attitude while Alyssa has a drier sense of humor.
The competitive fire they share on the court is arguably as intense off of it; board games are a battle, they’ll race one another to stop signs, even in-game they’ll have competitions for who can get the most steals in a given game. Alyssa owns anything strategic, so anytime DB steals a game or a hand of cards, Alyssa never hears the end of it.
They bump heads, often because of something that took place on court or in practice.
“Nine times out of 10 it’s because of something Alyssa did,” says DeWanna.
Their relationship has a yin and yang balance; AT is the more vocal leader who is always going to point out a mistake and show a teachable moment, where as DB is described by most of her teammates as the mom of the Sun. She’s going to walk up and put her arm around you, listen to you, give you words of encouragement. There’s an equilibrium created by their polarity in leadership styles.
“Her energy is just special,” says Thomas.
“No matter the situation, she brings people joy, she brings me joy.”
Thomas is routinely inspired by her fiancé and her ability to be a star on the court while remaining such a present mother off of it.
“It’s a full time job outside of basketball… early mornings, late nights, waking up in the middle of the night,” Thomas said. “What she’s able to do with them and then perform… I’m in awe watching her.”
Cali and Demi split time half and half with their mother Candice Dupree in Texas, and the other half with DeWanna in Connecticut.
“When they’re here, it is literally non-stop,” says DeWanna laughing and looking around behind her. Cali and Demi are drawing on a whiteboard after begging for markers.
“For instance, yesterday, game day, I wake up and I’m attentive to them. Alyssa’s sister is here to help watch them so I don’t bring them to shootaround… it’s very eventful, I come back from shootaround and play with them and take a nap on the floor… wake up to go to the game, then we don’t get to sleep til about midnight, because once we hit the door, it’s ‘Watch me Mom, play with me, let’s do this!’ It’s very busy, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
When she’s overseas, she’ll facetime the girls before and after games. Any opportunity to be present for her daughters is essential to her.
Connecticut isn’t for everyone. But, Bonner and Thomas have both fallen in love with it for similar reasons. They appreciate the peace that comes with living in one of the smaller markets in the league. Bonner says that she’ll force herself to go out with teammates on the road occasionally, but the second they’re back in Uncasville, “finally, I’m at peace.”
“I don’t wanna go anywhere or do anything,” Bonner said. “We’ve been on the road and I want to sleep. This is perfect.”
She’ll happily go to bat for all of the towns surrounding Uncasville, stating that there’s more to do than meets the eye, especially when you head a short drive south to the coast. The Mystic and New London restaurant scene are underrated.
Erica watched her sister grow from a High School All-American, to an All-American at Auburn, to a rookie on a veteran team winning a title, a mother coming back to put together perhaps the best season of her pro career, and growing into a leader taking on an even larger role on court and in the locker room in Connecticut.
She’s seen her win and lose at the highest levels.
“It seems like success has come so naturally to her, so it’s hard to take in what all she’s done… like yoooo, that’s my sister!” Erica said. “She’s one of the all-time greats…when you stop and think about her greatness and all she’s done for the game, it’s crazy. Through all that, she’s remained the same, just a little less country.”
The foundation Bonner built in Birmingham and summers in Bakersfield shaped Bonner in ways that still reverberate in who she is today; she’s a fierce and loyal teammate and friend, as consistent as they come, and grounded by her perspective in life. She’s accomplished nearly everything possible in the sport, and while she knows her career is coming to a close soon, she’s not done yet.
“I want to finish my career with a championship in Connecticut,” Bonner said. “And we will.”
