DeWanna Bonner Lands Mercury Contract Buyout, Top Landing Spots for WNBA Star Amid Playoff Race

The Phoenix Mercury announced Monday that they bought out six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner.

General manager Nick U'Ren said the move "gives her the opportunity to chase a title in what could be her final postseason" as the Mercury have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Bonner averaged 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 38 games with the team.

Any move to a contender will be complicated by the WNBA's hard salary cap and 12-player roster maximum. In terms of team needs and looking at the standings, the Las Vegas Aces, Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics all make sense.

The Aces are the most logical fit.

The reigning WNBA champions are third in the league and now have a void in the frontcourt with NaLyssa Smith suffering a knee injury in in Sunday's 88-78 win over the Toronto Tempo.

Chalk it up to pure coincidence or fate, but Las Vegas could've seen one of its starters go down for the season and a prospective replacement emerge all within the space of 24 hours.

The Mystics and Wings are in similar positions in that they have emergent squads another year or two from seriously contending for a title.

In the case of Washington, Bonner would provide invaluable experience. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is the only player on the active roster older than 27. That the Mystics are a playoff team while relying on so much youth is an achievement on its own.

Dallas has taken a big step forward in Paige Bueckers' second season.

The Wings showed ambition by poaching Jessica Shepard and co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith from the Minnesota Lynx. Shepard has exceeded expectations by making her first All-Star team, but Smith has seriously regressed. Bonner might make up some of the difference.

The Atlanta Dream could be in the mix, too.

From Bonner's perspective, they'd be more attractive than Dallas or Washington, and they've seen two key contributors in their frontcourt struggle to match their 2025 production. Naz Hillmon isn't the three-point threat she was en route to being Sixth Player of the Year, and Brionna Jones hasn't recaptured her All-Star form after suffering a torn meniscus while playing overseas.

Bonner turned 39 a few days ago and she's clearly no longer at her peak. She's still playing at a level that will make her useful for a top-eight team in the WNBA.