With just a handful of games remaining on each team’s schedule in the 2026 season, the Phoenix Mercury and their star veteran DeWanna Bonner have agreed to a contract buyout. The 39-year-old star had been playing with the Mercury since last season, when she had joined the team in 2025 after the Indiana Fever waived her. ESPN’s Alexa Philippou was among the first to report on the development.
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“Breaking: DeWanna Bonner and the Phoenix Mercury have agreed to a contract buyout, the team announced,” Philippou wrote on X, adding that Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren clarified why they made the move as the regular season nears its end.
“DeWanna has been an important part of our team and brought tremendous leadership, experience and competitiveness to the Mercury,” U’Ren said in a press release.
“Because of the relationship we have with DeWanna, we worked out a buyout agreement that gives her the opportunity to chase a title in what could be her final postseason. DeWanna will always be part of the Mercury family, and we wish her all the best.”
The Mercury bowed out of the playoff race and are currently in 12th place in the WNBA standings with a 13-24 record. The team that played in the last postseason are uccrently 8.5 wins behind the eighth seed, the Dallas Wings, and the Wings are just one win away from taking the final playoff spot.
Joining one of the teams with postseason chances would give her a chance to play in another playoff. However, only teams like the Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, and Indiana Fever give her a realistic shot at the title.
Meanwhile, the 6x All-Star also showed love to Phoenix fans in her statement.
“Being able to return to Phoenix and play in front of the best fans in the WNBA these past two seasons has been an incredible experience,” DeWanna Bonner said in a press release, per Arizona Sports.
“The fans, this community and the Mercury organization have embraced me throughout my career, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Being part of this franchise has given me so many incredible memories, and Phoenix will always be a special part of my career.”
The WNBA veteran added that while she didn’t know what the future held for her, it “could be one of my final postseason.”
The Mercury drafted DeWanna Bonner at No. 5 overall in the 2009 WNBA draft. She played her first 10 years with the Mercury before leaving for the Connecticut Sun. After five years there, she joined the Indiana Fever in 2025, but was waived by the team after nine games.
DeWanna Bonner later signed with the Mercury. Since then, she has played 61 games with the team, including 37 this season. In 576 games in her career, the WNBA veteran has averaged 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Since the buyout news, several teams, including the Las Vegas Aces, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics, have already emerged as the landing destinations for the two-time WNBA champion. However, finding a team willing to make adjustments for a new incoming star at this point in the season may not be easy.