DeWanna

Bonner

Bonner recorded a double-double in her first start of the series. Her impact was less significant than her 25-point, 10-rebound Game 3, but the veteran forward still managed to provide some value on both ends of the floor. She finished as one of five Phoenix players to score in double figures and one of two to collect double-digit rebounds.

On the heels of a 25-point, 10-rebound performance in Wednesday’s loss to the Aces, Bonner will get the start in the Mercury’s must-win Game 4. She’ll replace Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of Game 3 before being ruled out for Friday’s contest. Bonner is averaging 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game throughout this 2025 postseason. She and the rest of the Mercury will need a strong outing if they hope to avoid elimination and send the series back to Las Vegas for Game 5.

Sabally left Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the WNBA Finals with 4:26 left in the fourth quarter. Her head collided with the leg of Aces forward Kiersten Bell as Sabally and Aces guard Jackie Young were fighting for a rebound. Young was assessed a personal foul for tangling up Sabally’s arm, but Bell’s contact with Sabally’s head was accidental. After Sabally was down for around 10 minutes on the ground following the collision, she left the floor with some help from teammate Kalani Brown and a member of the Mercury’s training staff. The injury is a major blow for the Mercury as they will enter Game 4 on Friday down 3-0 in an elimination game of best of seven series without one of their stars available to play. With Sabally out for Game 4, expect DeWanna Bonner to start in her place and for stretch big Kathryn Westbeld to get some more run off the bench.

For the second straight game, Thomas dealt with foul trouble although she still played in all but one minute of Wednesday night’s game. She picked up three of her five personal fouls in the second half and as a result was less potent on both sides of the ball. She also had difficulty taking care of the ball, turning the ball over three times which resulted in two Aces scores. She was just one assist off from yet another triple-double and distributed to four teammates in DeWanna Bonner, Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally and Monique Akoa Makani. Thomas led her team rebounding the basketball picking up 12. She had two offensive boards, which moved her into a tie with league legend Lisa Leslie for eighth on the All-Time Playoffs offensive rebounds list with 127.

Bonner had her most productive game of the Finals on Wednesday night and took advantage of how the Aces guarded her. It also helped that Dana Evans fouled out with almost six minutes left in the fourth. Bonner was incredibly aggressive on drives overpowering and crossing up NaLyssa Smith multiple times in the second half. She also took advantage of her matchup with Megan Gustafson who she also was able to beat off the dribble in addition to firing and making a 25-foot step-back three-pointer over Gustafson’s outstretched arms. Bonner was also the Mercury’s most efficient player, only needing 11 shots to score over 20 points, although she attempted 13 free throws and missed four of them.

Sabally had her highest scoring performance since Game 2 of the semifinals against the Lynx, a game the Mercury won. On Wednesday night however, this wasn’t the case amid Sabally’s most efficient shooting performance of the Finals series. She took advantage of her size advantage over the Aces guards early, but her teammates struggled to get her the ball to further exploit that size mismatch throughout the game. Sabally was less trigger happy, and found her teammates DeWanna Bonner, Kahleah Copper and Monique Akoa Makani on cuts to the basket and kick outs. Sabally’s solid performance was cut short. She left the game after hitting her head on Kiersten Bell’s leg with 4:26 left in regulation. The ESPN broadcast reported that Sabally was going to be evaluated for a concussion. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts had no update on Sabally postgame.

To say Bonner needed a fourth quarter like the one she enjoyed on Sunday would be an understatement. The veteran forward, who joined the Mercury mid-season after things did not work out with the Fever, scored eight points on 3-of-22 shooting in the first three games of the semifinals. Bonner hit three three-pointers in the fourth quarter of Game 4, including one with 3:39 remaining that gave Phoenix a lead it would not relinquish. The Mercury bench was the difference on Sunday, as they outscored their Minnesota counterparts by a 22-5 margin. Next for Bonner and the Mercury is Indiana or Las Vegas in the WNBA Finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Friday.

Bonner brought a ton of value off the bench on Wednesday, notching a team-high in rebounds while using efficient shooting to finish as one of five Mercury players to score in double figures. The veteran forward’s contributions on the offensive end were subtle throughout the night, not scoring more than four points in either of the game’s first three quarters. A six-point final frame from Bonner helped the Mercury stay in control the rest of the way and cruise to a series-tying victory. Bonner’s veteran experience will likely be needed on Friday as the Mercury looks to secure a Game 3 win and advance to the second round.

Bonner was so reliable and efficient for the Mercury. When the offense struggled to find open looks and make shots, Bonner’s off-ball cutting was huge. While the Liberty defense was laser focused on Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, Bonner often leaked out and Breanna Stewart was late to defend her slashing to the rim. She made a key field goal on a pass from Sabally with 1:16 left in overtime to get the Mercury within four points before the Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich hit a dagger of a three-pointer to silence the Mercury for good. Bonner finished the game with a plus/minus of +7, tied with Sami Whitcomb for the highest plus/ minus on the Mercury.

Bonner is out against the Wings so that she can rest before the Mercury take on the New York Liberty in the playoffs beginning on Sunday. Without Bonner in the Mercury’s main rotation, more minutes have come from Sami Whitcomb and Kitija Laksa on the wing.