'I miss everything about Auburn' - DeWanna Bonner continues to shine in WNBA

'I miss everything about Auburn' - DeWanna Bonner continues to shine in WNBA'I miss everything about Auburn' - DeWanna Bonner continues to shine in WNBA

Sept. 16, 2016

By Wes Todd
AuburnTigers.com

DeWanna Bonner just needed a break.

Having an all-star caliber season, the former Auburn standout was not exactly disappointed when the end of July rolled around and the WNBA took a one-month break for the Rio Olympics.

"I had been playing pretty much non-stop since last fall," Bonner said. "I was happy for the girls on our team that were in the Olympics, but I was ready for a break."

Now in her eighth season with the Phoenix Mercury, Bonner - who spoke to AuburnTigers.com on Sept. 6 when the Mercury were in Atlanta to face the Atlanta Dream - hasn't missed a beat despite the month-long Olympic hiatus.

As of Sept. 14, Bonner was averaging 14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. She ranks 13th in the WNBA in scoring and 12th in steals, and she's the second-leading scorer on her team behind Diana Taurasi's 18.3 points per game.

While her numbers are a bit down from her All-WNBA First Team season in 2015 (15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists), she has helped to put the three-time WNBA champion Mercury in position for another playoff run.

But she's had her moments of greatness this season, too. On June 16, Bonner came off the bench to score a career-high 38 points in a home win over Dallas, which set a WNBA record for bench scoring in a single game. Despite that, she remained humble and hungry when discussing her performance this season.

"It's been a little rocky," she said of her 2016 season. "We're just trying to make the playoffs. It will be a lot of fun if we can finish up the way everyone expects us to."

The Mercury clinched a playoff spot Thursday night with a home win over Seattle and could finish as high as sixth in the standings. And one of the possible first-round opponents for Phoenix: the Atlanta Dream.

Trips to Atlanta are always special for the Fairfield, Ala., native. With Philips Arena the closest WNBA venue for most of her friends and family, she looks forward to facing the Dream on the road.

"I've got so many family members here, my ticket guy is always asking if I need more," Bonner said. "A lot of Auburn people come down. It's always pretty cool to play here with family and friends just an hour or two away. My family doesn't get to come to Phoenix much, so I always take pride in this game."

And it showed - despite a slow start to the first half in that game on Sept. 6, Bonner knocked down a buzzer-beating shot just before the half for her first points of the game. She came alive in the second half, matching a career-high with seven assists to go along with 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals. However, a late charge by the Mercury was not enough to overcome a large early deficit as the Dream held on for a 91-87 win.

The 2009 SEC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, Bonner doesn't see any end in sight to her WNBA career. And she credits her experience at Auburn - particularly winning the 2009 SEC Championship - with preparing her for life in the pros.

"Just remembering the gamedays and all the things from my senior year was amazing," she said. "And we have that same kind of support in Phoenix, so (going to the WNBA) wasn't anything new. The SEC is such a great conference and a lot of people I played against in college are in the WNBA now. You get prepared by playing against great talent every night."

Bonner is Auburn's all-time leading scorer with 2,162 points and second all-time in rebounds with 1,047. Along with Becky Jackson, Bonner is one of two Auburn players to lead the Tigers in both scoring and rebounding for four straight years.

"I actually went back last year to meet Coach Flo and practice with the girls one time," she said. "It was great. It's so different from when I was there with the new facility and all that."

Bonner said she kept up with the team through their NCAA Tournament run last season - the first NCAA appearance for the Tigers since Bonner's senior year. And with Phoenix teammate Brittney Griner a former Baylor star, Auburn's second-round game carried extra significance.

"I didn't get to see Brittney before the game because she was playing in a different part of Russia," Bonner said. "But we definitely exchanged texts about it."

Nearing the end of her eighth year in the WNBA, Bonner is committed to staying in Phoenix as long as possible. She is unsure, however, about playing overseas another year. She has played for Nadezhda Orenburg in Russia for the last four seasons but has yet to sign for another season.

"I'm taking a break because I haven't had a break since I don't know when," she said. "If I sign, I'll probably go in December."

But first, she has business in Phoenix with the Mercury trying to make a run through the playoffs toward a fourth WNBA title. And, of course, keeping up with her alma mater.

"I miss everything about Auburn," she said. "Just the family atmosphere. If I could go back, I would. I miss it a lot."