Bonner helps Mercury take down Lynx in return

DeWanna Bonner made her return to the Phoenix Mercury in Wednesday's game, helping them defeat the league-leading Minnesota Lynx 79-71 at PHX Arena. Bonner, who officially signed with the Mercury on Tuesday, contributed 7 points and 6 rebounds off the bench in the victory.

Alyssa Thomas led the second-place Mercury with a career-high 29 points, along with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. The win improved Phoenix's record to 14-6, while the first-place Lynx fell to 17-3. Phoenix secured the win with a dominant fourth quarter, outscoring Minnesota 27-14 and closing on a 19-4 run.

Bonner, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward originally drafted by Phoenix in 2009, returns to the franchise where she spent 10 seasons and won two WNBA championships. After five seasons with Connecticut, she signed with Indiana this year but played only nine games before stepping away in June for personal reasons and being waived. Bonner stated Indiana wasn't a good fit.

Her return proved timely for the Mercury, who were missing injured starters Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper. Coach Nate Tibbetts initially didn't plan to play Bonner for 26 minutes, but her performance justified the extended playing time. Bonner focused on fitting into a team she believed already had strong chemistry, aided by her familiarity with fiancée and former Connecticut teammate Alyssa Thomas.

Tibbetts emphasized Bonner's value, citing her 16 years of WNBA experience, professionalism, size, length, and versatility. He noted her immediate positive impact in timeouts and approach. Despite poor 3-point shooting (1-of-16), the Mercury shot 57.9% from 2-point range and committed only 9 turnovers. Thomas praised Bonner's defensive and rebounding contributions and highlighted the team's potential at less than full strength, stating, "It's scary to think we're not even full strength yet."