DeWanna Bonner Signs With Dream After Mercury Buyout, Joins Angel Reese for Playoff Push
DeWanna Bonner, a 17-year WNBA veteran and 39-year-old free agent, signed with the Atlanta Dream following a buyout from the Phoenix Mercury. She joins Angel Reese for the playoff stretch. The move marks the second consecutive year Bonner has departed a franchise without generating draft compensation for her former team.
DeWanna Bonner, a 39-year-old veteran, signed with the Atlanta Dream following a buyout from the Phoenix Mercury, per CBS Sports. The 17-year veteran joins Angel Reese for the playoff stretch as the Dream pursue a title run.
Bonner wanted a chance to chase another title before her career ends, according to CBS Sports reporting. She moves to a contender at the league's postseason threshold, where her experience and veteran presence could factor into Atlanta's playoff depth.
The signing marks a notable pattern in Bonner's recent career trajectory. According to Yahoo Sports, Bonner has exited two WNBA rosters in consecutive years without either franchise recovering so much as a second-round pick in compensation. The Mercury's decision to buy her out rather than retain her stands alongside her previous departure, raising questions about how veteran free agents on the backend of long careers are valued in roster construction and trade discussions.
Bonner was drafted by the Mercury and had been with the franchise before the buyout. Her arrival in Atlanta pairs a longtime veteran with a young core anchored by Reese, who has already set single-game and single-season rebounding records this season.
Bonner signed with Atlanta after the Mercury bought out her contract, pairing her with Angel Reese for the playoff run.
Bonner's signing adds veteran depth to Atlanta's playoff rotation. The broader pattern of her exiting consecutive franchises without draft compensation reflects either limited market value for aging stars or management decisions that don't prioritize salvaging asset return.
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