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'We Handle This As A Business: DeWanna Bonner Gets Serious On Teaming Up With Fiancee Alyssa Thomas With Phoenix Mercury
Sep 22, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner (24) passes the ball to Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) during game one of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images

DeWanna Bonner is making one thing clear: Phoenix may be her new home, but it’s not a honeymoon.

Bonner addressed the media this week after officially teaming up with fiancée Alyssa Thomas under the Phoenix Mercury banner. And while the headlines have swirled about the couple finally being on the same team, Bonner shut down any suggestion that this is anything but a professional move.

“Definitely very happy, but it’s a job,” DeWanna Bonner told reporters. “We come in as teammates, and we handle this as a business. We want to win, first and foremost, and we want to do it in the most professional way,” Bonner said. “That’s what we’ve been doing, that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

That’s been the theme for DeWanna Bonner ever since the reunion was made official.

The Mercury are aiming for a legitimate title run with a revamped core. And now with DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas at the heart of it, the pieces are finally in place. Their chemistry has never been questioned on the court, and with both players focused on the mission, Phoenix could quietly be building a monster.

The spotlight may try to follow them everywhere, but DeWanna Bonner is shutting that noise out. She’s not in Phoenix to make headlines. She’s here to win.


DeWanna Bonner Reflects On Her Role With Mercury: “Just Be Me”

DeWanna Bonner isn’t trying to rewrite the playbook. She’s not out here demanding touches or minutes. She just wants to hoop and let everything else fall into place.

“Just be me,” Bonner said when asked about her role in a Phoenix Mercury squad that already had good rhythm. “I don’t have to do anything extra. I was a little worried because they’re a team that has great chemistry already. That kinda went into my decision-making process as well.”


Phoenix Mercury team president Vince Kozar talks with former player DeWanna Bonner while watching the third quarter between the Phoenix Mercury and the Dallas Wings at PHX Arena on July 7, 2025.

Even with all her accolades, DeWanna Bonner stepped into Phoenix without the superstar aura. No drama. No ego. Just quiet confidence from someone who knows how to impact the game on both ends. The Mercury didn’t bring her in to be the savior. They brought her in to be the missing piece.

There’s comfort in that. And DeWanna Bonner seems to be embracing it. Not everyone can walk into a playoff-hunting team mid-season and mesh without disrupting the flow. Bonner can, because she’s done it all and seen it all.


Jun 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever forward DeWanna Bonner (25) shoots against the Chicago Sky during the first half of a WNBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Mercury are banking on that calm presence to tip the scales their way when the games get tight.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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