It was already known that DeWanna Bonner’s next destination after parting ways with the Phoenix Mercury would be the Atlanta Dream. The Dream have now made it official, sharing a welcoming post on X that left no doubt about how they view the addition.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“2x WNBA champion. 6x WNBA All-Star. One of the most accomplished players in WNBA history. Welcome to the A, DeWanna 🅰️,” the Atlanta Dream officially announced on their X handle.
DeWanna Bonner’s arrival, however, has come with a significant roster shakeup. Around the same time the Dream shared their welcoming post, they also announced the departure of two players, Aaliyah Nye and Jalyn Sherrod.
Aaliyah Nye, a 6-foot guard-forward out of the University of Alabama, was originally selected in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft. She won a WNBA Championship during her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces before being claimed off waivers by Atlanta in May 2026. She has now been waived by the Dream to free up a standard roster spot for the newly signed veteran.
Meanwhile, her teammate Jalyn Sherrod was riding with the Dream on a developmental contract. However, the Dream guard was on the last leg of her 12-game contract, having appeared in 11 games so far this season. So, instead of renewing her on a full contract and putting stress on their salary cap, Atlanta chose to make space for the incoming now-former Phoenix Mercury star.
While waiving Nye from the standard 12-woman roster means they cleared the spot for DeWanna Bonner, it might not mean that Nye’s road with the Dream ends here. Atlanta is expected to re-sign Nye to the newly vacant developmental contract once she clears waivers, ensuring the Dream retain her while still making room for Bonner at the top of the roster.
DeWanna Bonner is joining Atlanta after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Mercury, a team that has been eliminated from playoff contention. As reported by Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren, the buyout was agreed specifically to allow Bonner to pursue a championship with a team still in contention, in what may be one of the final chapters of her storied career.
“DeWanna has been an important part of our team and brought tremendous leadership, experience, and competitiveness to the Mercury. Because of the relationship we have with DeWanna, we worked out a buyout agreement that allows her to chase a title in what could be her final postseason.”
The team, as it appears, is the Atlanta Dream, who currently sit fourth on the WNBA league table with a playoff spot already guaranteed.
Without question, the addition of a six-time All-Star and two-time champion strengthens this Atlanta Dream side considerably and gives them a better chance of making a deep postseason run. But whether this whole carefully orchestrated roster maneuver ends the way DeWanna Bonner intends, with another championship, will ultimately be answered in October.