DeWanna Bonner joined the Atlanta Dream late in the season and has stepped in to contribute to the stat sheet whenever she has been called upon. However, her impact extends beyond the hardwood floor, and as the Dream prepare for their first WNBA Finals since 2013, a former rival, Sophie Cunningham, believes Bonner can sharpen the team’s focus when it matters the most.
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“Adding DeWanna Bonner, I think that experience and that leadership and veteran-ness has absolutely helped them dial in on what’s important,” Cunningham said on the No Hesitation podcast.
Her endorsement came right before the Dream played against the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the semifinals, which they ended up winning 85-83 to finish a 3-0 sweep. The win now secures their place in the WNBA Finals, and they are set to face off against the #2-seeded Golden State Valkyries; both teams swept their opponents 3-0 to advance to the Finals. Bonner was key throughout the series for the Dream.
After the team’s regular-season and first-round leading scorer, Allisha Gray, was forced to sit out the series following a hand injury in Game 1, Bonner took on an expanded role. In Game 1, she logged 23 points and nine rebounds, helping them open the series with a win. However, the veteran leadership showed in smaller moments.
After surrendering a 40-37 lead to the Liberty at halftime of Game 1, Bonner delivered a fiery message to the team, something that point guard Jordin Canada explained forced them to pick up the slack.
“DB got into us at halftime, I’ll just say that,” she said.
“We knew we didn’t play our best in the first half. … We just weren’t being aggressive enough on the defensive end and offensive end. We talked about a second-half surge, that the first three minutes of the second half are going to be really important, and so we came out ready to go.”
Angel Reese, Atlanta’s defensive centerpiece and the Defensive Player of the Year, explained that Bonner “always challenges us,” and that she keeps a team filled with young talent “humble.”
Her leadership showed itself in more subtle ways, too. After the Dream beat the Washington Mystics in the first round, Reese and Gray waved goodbye to the Mystics crowd in a taunt. Almost immediately, Bonner walked over to them and lowered their hands, taking them back.
Bonner’s experience shows in the numbers, too. She is the second-oldest player in the league, logging the most seasons of any active player, with 17. On top of that, she has championship experience and the maturity to be able to come off the bench for her younger compatriots, and she gives the team several looks on both ends of the court.
Rhyne Howard, who has also been a key player for the Dream, praised Bonner for helping lead the team to a win in Game 1, highlighting her experience as an X-factor.
“I don’t think we win if we don’t have DB,” she told reporters after the game.
“As soon as she got here, I’ve been in her ear about taking lead of this team, showcasing her vet card… her Hall of Fame ability. Yeah, you might be coming to help us, but we’re also looking for you to lead the way… You’re going to show us how to do it, and we’re going to follow right behind.”
This season represents what is likely Bonner’s last chance to win a championship, and she knows it. After the 2025 season, she made it clear she didn’t want to play more than one more season.
Only time will tell if Reese and Co. can help Bonner on the way to her third championship, but what we can already see is that her impact cannot be limited to just the stat sheet.