The Las Vegas Aces, who’ve been firing on all cylinders, are just one game away from WNBA glory. But the Phoenix Mercury, down by 3, aren’t giving up just yet. Even yesterday, they tried their best to overcome A’ja Wilson and Co.’s dominance. They initially responded with a 13-0 run to level the game, but couldn’t regain or sustain any advantage. Still, the head coach is proud of his team “for not giving in,” but more specifically, referring to one player.

It’s DeWanna Bonner, and he’s got a firm reason behind doing so. As the fourth quarter began, the Aces were in cruise control with a 76–59 lead, but the Mercury persisted and closed the gap to 84–83 with 3:06 left on the clock. As DeWanna Bonner saw the opportunity, she soon let one rip from deep, tying the scoresheet at 86. Her two free throws that followed with 1:01 left, then had the scores locked at 88. But all this wasn’t enough.

It was 4x MVP A’ja Wilson who came in clutch, and her turnaround jumper now has the Aces one win away from destiny. But still, while DB failed to grab a win for the Mercury, the head coach didn’t shy away from giving her the credit she deserved. He said, “DB was fantastic, the whole night. She’s been battling some kind of sickness. We changed the matchup. She went to A’ja. I thought she competed at a high level. And then offensively, she was just fearless.”

“She made big shots when we needed them. She got downhill. She got to the free-throw line. And that’s why we went and got her for these types of games,” Coach Tibbetts shared in the post-game presser. DeWanna Bonner has been ill recently, and her not being 100% healthy was a talking point after her 4-point outing in Game 2. But despite still not being fully fit, she played 31 minutes, raking in a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3.

But this isn’t the first time DB has proven to be a vital asset for the Mercury. Even during the semifinals this postseason, she sat at a brutal 3-for-29 shooting statline before entering Game 4 versus the Lynx. But when it mattered the most, she made two late three-pointers, overcoming a fourth-quarter 13-point deficit. The Mercury ended up winning, 86–81, and made the Finals for the first time since 2021.

So once again, yesterday, DB knew it was an important game. Had her team not given up 55 points in the first half, they would’ve had a serious shot at emerging victorious, considering the game went all the way down to the wire.

“I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing all playoffs, fighting our way back. I’m proud of the effort we had, but we can’t start that way, especially against them,” Bonner said recently in a presser, identifying a key area of improvement for her team. But now the team has just one option: WIN.

Can Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner be the catalyst to fuel a desperate Finals comeback?

The Mercury went out there and re-signed DeWanna Bonner because they knew the kind of dominance she’s capable of. She was drafted fifth overall back in 2009 by Phoenix. “Luckily, the last two offseasons, we’ve tried to get DB to come back to Phoenix. And so we’ve been able to build a relationship a little bit. Unfortunately, she didn’t pick us twice. Third time is a charm! I think AT helped in that a little bit,” Nate Tibbetts shared recently.

While the Mercury already boasts a strong supply of frontcourt talent, adding her brought ease to the group. “She’s seen everything — this is year 16,” Tibbetts said. And yes, while she never really settled in with the Indiana Fever, averaging 7.1 points per game, she’s been a blessing for the Mercury.

DB’s averaging 9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1 assist this postseason. She’s even had more than three games of 10 or more points in this playoff run, and bear in mind that she’s been coming off the bench as well. And that also makes her a sort of secret weapon that the Mercury can use.

But now, the pressure’s the most intense as the Phoenix side needs four wins to make the magic happen. And that seems a little tricky unless DB gets support from guard Sami Whitcomb, who went scoreless for a second consecutive game. She’s been pivotal to the Mercury’s bench, but it seems that her knee injury from Game 1 is still acting up, despite her saying that she was “fine”.

With question marks on Satou Sabally’s availability, things aren’t looking too positive. But, as a basketball fanatic for decades now, I’d be open to witnessing a WNBA Finals miracle, even though it seems pretty unlikely for now.