The Connecticut Sun have looked every bit the part of title contenders this season under new head coach Stephanie White. While fans and media alike believed the road to the WNBA title would be between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, the Sun might have something to say about that. Even after the brutal season-ending injury to starting center Brionna Jones, the Sun maintained their position as the third best team in the league. But against the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, the Sun saw star forward DeWanna Bonner leave the game early with an apparent back injury. The team later announced that she would not return to the game.
GAME STATUS REPORT:
DeWanna Bonner will not return (back). pic.twitter.com/oMe0TetVZ2
— Connecticut Sun PR (@CTSunPR) August 11, 2023
DeWanna Bonner started the Sun's game against the Mercury and played about two minutes before being subbed out with the team later revealing that it was due to a back injury. Bonner has been one half of a dynamic duo for the Sun this season alongside Alyssa Thomas.
Now in her 14th season in the WNBA, Bonner has been having one of the best years of her career. She's been averaging 19.0 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 43 percent shooting from the field, 33.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 85.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
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Bonner is in her fourth season with the Sun. She joined the Sun as a free agent ahead of the 2020 season and has been named to two All-Star teams during that stretch. Prior to that she played for the Mercury for ten years and was a three-time All-Star while helping the Mercury win championships in 2009 and 2014.