When the Phoenix Mercury waived Murjanatu Musa on Tuesday, it did not take long for the franchise to announce a corresponding move that many had seen coming for weeks.
The Mercury have confirmed that veteran forward DeWanna Bonner is returning to Phoenix, the franchise where she began her decorated WNBA career in 2009.
Bonner re-joins the Mercury as a free agent following her departure from the Indiana Fever, for whom she played nine games.
Bonner's return to Phoenix reunites her with power forward Alyssa Thomas, her wife and longtime Connecticut Sun teammate. There were eyebrows raised around the WNBA this spring when the pair went their separate ways: Bonner to join former Sun coach Stephanie White with the Fever, and Thomas to embark on a new chapter with an overhauled Mercury team.
It was thought that official confirmation of Bonner's return was close when she received a standing ovation at PHX Arena on Monday night. Bonner was in attendance as Thomas recorded her first triple-double of the season, which keyed the Mercury's 102-72 win over the Dallas Wings.
"We couldn't be more excited to have DeWanna back in a Mercury uniform," Phoenix general manager Nick U'Ren said via statement. "She is a true winner, leader and one of the most talented and versatile players in our game. Her high basketball IQ, shooting range, athleticism and ability to play and defend multiple positions is going to be a great addition to what we are building in Phoenix."
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Bonner spent the first 10 years of her career in Phoenix, where she picked up three Sixth Player of the Year awards and won two WNBA titles. After five years and another WNBA Finals appearance in Connecticut, Bonner signed with Indiana -- but amid a relegation to the bench after three games, the 37-year-old admitted that the fit did not work for her, and the Fever granted her request for release.
Bonner ranks third on the WNBA's all-time scoring list with 7,546 points. Though Bonner's role on a 13-6 Mercury team remains to be seen, her addition gives Phoenix another high-level scorer as Nate Tibbetts' team pursues its first championship in 11 years.
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