In a 101-82 Phoenix Mercury win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday, DeWanna Bonner did what she usually does. She filled up the stat sheet and remained one of the most consistent players in the league.
On top of her 14 points and six rebound and six assists performance, Bonner scored her 4,000 career point. A tremendous accomplishment and something that should certainly be celebrated. Here is how she did it.
Congratulations to Dewanna Bonner on reaching 4⃣,0⃣0⃣0⃣ career points! pic.twitter.com/tesCBV6Lh5
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 15, 2018
Bonner was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 WNBA draft and she has spent the entirety of her career with the Mercury. She helped Phoenix win a championship in 2009 and 2014. She sat out the 2017 season while her and her wife, Candice Dupree, were pregnant with twins. Bonner returned this past spring and has not missed a beat. In fact, shes playing some of the best basketball of her career.
Take a look at her career, Bonner has averaged double figures every single year shes been in the league.
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2018 | Career |
11.2 | 12 | 10.7 | 20.6 | 14.5 | 10.4 | 15.8 | 14.5 | 15.4 | 13.8 |
Her return to the Mercury this season and she has made all the difference in the world. She's averaging 15.4 points per game, over six rebounds, she is shooting the ball well at 46 percent and she's second on the team in assists per game at 3.4. The Mercury are currently second in the standings and look poised and ready to make another WNBA championship run.
[credit]WNBA[/credit]
For a player as consistent and talented as Bonner, sometimes she is easily overlooked by the dominance of Brittney Griner and the legacy of Diana Taurasi. It's understandable, but at the same time, to me, Bonner is the "X Factor" for the Mercury. She quietly brings that extra edge and consistency they need to be successful and it was apparent in 2017 when they did not have her.
Congratulations to DeWanna Bonner on 4,000 career points and here's to many more.
The Mercury head home for a four-game home stretch and it kicks off this Thursday, July 19 as they host the Las Vegas Aces at 9pm ET.