Yardbarker
x
How DeWanna Bonner Became A Six-Time All-Star
Team WNBA player Caitlin Clark high fives teammates Kayla McBride and DeWanna Bonner during the WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 20, 2024. Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

DeWanna Bonner started her WNBA career in 2009, and she was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury. She was the fifth pick of that year's draft, and before that, she won SEC Player of the Year.

Bonner won a championship in her first season, and she did so by being Phoenix's best reserve. She averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. She won Sixth Woman of the Year, and that was the first of three.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bonner makes All-Star debut

The Mercury great has several accolades, and when it comes to making the All-Star game, her first appearance was in 2015. Bonner was a reserve for the West, but she became a starter after Seimone Augustus and Skylar Diggins were ruled out due to injury. Bonner was not the only Mercury player in the starting lineup, as Brittney Griner and Candice Dupree were starters.

Bonner was more of a facilitator in that game, as she had five assists. She also three rebounds and two points.

It was a few years before Bonner made another All-Star appearance. She was a part of the 2018 game, and she was a reserve for Team Delle Donne. The Mercury were well-represented that year, as Taurasi was a starter for Team Delle Donne and Griner was also a reserve. Bonner had a nice game, as she had 13 points and five rebounds.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Phoenix's champion was a part of the 2019 All-Star Game, and she was a reserve for Team Delle Donne. While her team lost that game, Bonner had 13 points, three assists and a rebound. This was the last All-Star Game where Bonner would represent the Mercury.

Bonner was a part of the 2021 All-Star Game, and she was a starter for Team WNBA. This was a game where some of the league's top players went against Team USA. Bonner and her team won that outing, and she had six points, four rebounds and an assist.

After that, the Mercury great played in the 2023 and 2024 All-Star Games. She was a reserve for Team Wilson in 2023, and she had three rebounds and an assist. Then, she was a part of Team WNBA in another game against Team USA, and she had five points and four rebounds.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The three-time Sixth Woman of the Year is a six-time All-Star, and in those games, she has averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

Making the All-Star Game is a big honor, and along with her other accolades, Bonner has that experience under her belt.


This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI  and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!