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Atlanta Dream Signs DeWanna Bonner After $451,220 Buyout

8/27/2026

27 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Bonner Joins Dream

Atlanta Dream signed veteran DeWanna Bonner after her $451,220 buyout with Phoenix Mercury.
The buyout leaves Bonner on a prorated max contract of about $116,000.
Atlanta sits fourth at 25-13, 1.5 games behind the No. 2 seed.
Dream’s bench averages 17.2 points, the league’s second-lowest this season.
Bonner could debut Friday against the Portland Fire.

Summary

Bonner Sparks Revenge

Sophie Cunningham's finger-point gesture toward Bonner went viral and dominated basketball talk for a week.
Bonner left the Indiana Fever in 2025 after voluntarily stepping away mid-season and demanding a trade.
Indiana fans view a potential Dream-Fever playoff series as revenge hoping it ends Bonner’s career.
The Dream’s acquisition of Bonner adds a dramatic layer that fans say they’ll “eat up”.

History

Historical Context

The WNBA began in 1997 with eight teams, and the Houston Comets, led by Cynthia Cooper, won the inaugural championship, establishing early roster-building precedents. When the Atlanta Dream, an expansion franchise added in 2008, later acquired veteran DeWanna Bonner from the Phoenix Mercury, the move echoed those early-era roster adjustments that shaped playoff chances.

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Bonner Joins Dream

Atlanta Dream signed veteran DeWanna Bonner after her $451,220 buyout with Phoenix Mercury.
The buyout leaves Bonner on a prorated max contract of about $116,000.
Atlanta sits fourth at 25-13, 1.5 games behind the No. 2 seed.
Dream’s bench averages 17.2 points, the league’s second-lowest this season.
Bonner could debut Friday against the Portland Fire.

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