DeWanna Bonner's WNBA options are limited outside the Fever

Front Office Sports' Annie Costabile reported Tuesday that 2-time WNBA Champion DeWanna Bonner "has no interest" in returning to play for the Fever — a parting that isn't a surprise in some ways, especially as Bonner dropped from the starting line-up and was replaced by Lexie Hull earlier this season. Bonner is reportedly interested in two teams — the Mercury and the Dream — but doesn't have the easiest path getting to either for a key reason.

Bonner currently makes $200,000 on the Fever, a huge amount in WNBA terms. The Mercury have $88,103 in cap space (enough for a rookie contract and not much else) and the Dream have $23,939 (and are unlikely to cut anyone whose salary could free up enough room to snag Bonner.

So, there's now a looming question: where could she actually go?

DeWanna Bonner and the Mercury: a reunion in multiple ways

Bonner was drafted by the Mercury as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 draft and won her first championship with the team that season. In that way, returning to Phoenix would be returning home. Outside of the cap space issue, there's also another barrier preventing Bonner from heading southwest: the team doesn't necessarily have a role for her.

Despite what some doubters had to say, the Mercury put together a squad during the preseason that has since proven to be quite effective, especially the team's trio Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, and Alyssa Thomas. And while Thomas and Bonner have been engaged since 2023, that relationship alone may not be enough to sway the team to find a way to bring her over.

DeWanna Bonner and the Dream: a path seems unclear

Bonner has roots in the south and a couple of key reasons for wanting to be in Atlanta (she and her ex-wife, former Fever hooper Candice Dupree, share twin daughters and live regionally), but the team's cap space is nearly maxed out, and there aren't any obvious solutions in terms of players who could be waived.

Trade vs. waive: how the Fever would be impacted

An ideal scenario for all parties would be if the Fever can trade Bonner outright, but her salary and the fact that she would likely expect to start (which is completely reasonable, given her talent and experience) make that a difficult feat to pull off, unless there's a front office in the league that has been hoping for exactly this scenario already.

It's far more likely the Fever will waive Bonner, and then she will be on her own to find a new home. This could result in her missing the rest of the 2025 season (the Fever will only be responsible for her prorated salary), but would mean the Fever would have around $130,000 available and could potentially bring in two players to help the team.