The Indiana Fever-DeWanna Bonner drama has finally come to its fated end. Bonner has gotten her wish and her move to the Phoenix Mercury. She was reportedly upset because of her limited starts at Fever and fell out with the locker room and management. At the time, she requested the trade, but Mercury couldn’t get her then.

They have now. To accommodate her, Mercury waived forward Murjanatu Musa .“We couldn’t be more excited to have DeWanna back in a Mercury uniform,” said Mercury General Manager Nick U’Ren. Bonner is back to the franchise that made her. She was drafted by Phoenix and went on to spend the first 10 years of her career with the Mercury, where she helped them win 2 WNBA Championships in 2009 and 2014. But what did it cost the Phoenix Mercury to get their star veteran? Let’s find out how much Bonner will earn after leaving the Indiana Fever.

How much will DeWanna Bonner earn with the Phoenix Mercury in 2025?

Bonner signed a rest-of-season contract with the Phoenix Mercury worth $78,831. Of that amount, her pro-rated base salary for the remainder of 2025 is $43,721. The deal includes an extra $20,000 bonus, taking her total immediate payout to $63,721. This contract falls under the veteran minimum salary structure, tailored for late-season signings. Phoenix had about $88K in cap room, enough to absorb the prorated veteran-minimum contract without further adjustment.

Why did DeWanna Bonner accept a lower salary with the Phoenix Mercury?

DeWanna Bonner signed a one-year, $200,000 deal with the Indiana Fever this offseason, unprotected and the third-highest on the roster, behind Kelsey Mitchell’s supermax $249,244 and Natasha Howard’s $214,466, according to Her Hoop Stats. But when Bonner asked out and was waived, Indiana owed her nothing. No team claimed her, unsurprising, given the price tag. She hit free agency again, looking for a new chapter.

That chapter brought her back to Phoenix but at a steep discount. Still, for Bonner, this move was about more than money. Just days ago, she was spotted courtside at a Mercury game against the Wings, seated beside the team’s president. On the court, Alyssa Thomas, Bonner’s fiancée, dropped a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. After the final buzzer, the couple embraced in a quiet, emotional moment.

Bonner and Thomas first met as teammates on the Connecticut Sun in 2020, fell in love, and got engaged during All-Star weekend in 2023. This season, they found themselves on opposite sides of the map, Thomas in Phoenix and Bonner in Indiana. Now, they’re reunited. And for Bonner, that was worth every penny left on the table. That long distance might have been worth it if Bonner were a regular for the Fever and started almost every game. However, she started only 3 out of 9 games in her short period, and her history in Phoenix, along with her personal connection, made this decision easier for her. The way she left might be controversial, but from her point of view, this move made the most sense. 

What are the salary cap implications of Bonner’s new Mercury contract?

DeWanna Bonner’s cap hit with the Mercury for the remainder of 2025 is just $43,721, a veteran minimum pro-rated figure. That affordable signing leaves Phoenix with a little over $41,000 in cap space, a valuable cushion as teams prepare for the postseason. The move was a calculated one, and they got a championship-caliber player at a discount. By bringing in Bonner midway in the season at the minimum, Phoenix adds a proven veteran while preserving roster flexibility. For the Mercury, it is a smart balance of experience and cap efficiency at the most critical point of the season. 

Basically, Bonner’s return to Phoenix is more than a roster move, it’s a personal and professional reset for the 37-year-old. While she gave up a larger paycheck, she regained a familiar role, a supportive environment, and proximity to her fiancée, Alyssa Thomas. The Mercury, in turn, gained a veteran leader at a cap-friendly price, reinforcing their playoff ambitions without compromising flexibility. For both sides, the timing, the fit, and the value align.