3 Ways Signing DeWanna Bonner Makes Angel Reese’s Dream Title Favorites

Before the news broke that DeWanna Bonner was joining the Atlanta Dream, there were questions about whether Angel Reese and her teammates had enough to break the dominance of other top-tier teams.

The Las Vegas Aces have made the WNBA championship their byproduct after lifting the trophy three times in the last four years. Only the New York Liberty broke that streak when they upset the Minnesota Lynx to clinch it in 2024.

The latter were the best team in the league before star forward Napheesa Collier returned from her injury. After that, they have been on a juggernaut run, with rookie sensation Olivia Miles playing with more freedom than before.

The Liberty might not be at their best this season, but in the playoffs, their collective experience can be disruptive. If Satou Sabally returns, the unpredictability could be too much for any team to handle.

Add the hot-shooting Indiana Fever, and the league’s top defense in the Golden State Valkyries, and the race to topple the Aces is not getting any easier. The Dream were supposed to be near the top of the league standings at this stage, but are a loss away from losing home-court advantage to the Fever.

That may have been the motivation to sign the second-oldest player in the league, DeWanna Bonner. After all, she was an All-Star last year, and her current season averages of 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks will be the fifth-best numbers on the Atlanta Dream.

She might not post those numbers, since she was a starter with the Mercury, and might not be a shoo-in to get into the Dream’s first five lineup. But here are three ways the 39-year-old can make the team championship favorites.

DeWanna Bonner’s championship experience will help Angel Reese and young Dream players

The Atlanta Dream have three players who are 31 years old, and one, Brionna Jones, who is 30. The rest are 26 or younger. Age, or rather experience, is always a factor when it comes to winning or losing a championship.

Just ask Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, who repeatedly dismissed the lack of experience problem, only to fold in the NBA Finals against a veteran New York Knicks team.

The Dream has All-Star players aplenty and is about to get another. However, what DeWanna Bonner trumps all those players is her experience winning or fighting the most important battle of any season.

She has experience winning a championship as a rookie bench contributor and as a starter. The Auburn alum has also experienced several Conference Finals wins and losses, while also losing the WNBA Finals twice, with last year being the most recent.

For a team that is the fifth-youngest in the league, that experience will be invaluable. Therefore, it would be wise for Angel Reese and the younger players to listen to their newest teammate.

DeWanna Bonner will bring important scoring off the bench

When DeWanna Bonner controversially left the Indiana Fever, it was believed that she was not happy with her bench role. Coming to the Atlanta Dream, she might have to accept that this is the only way forward.

The team has a set starting five. Last year’s starter, Brionna Jones, is left to contribute from the bench after missing much of the season. It is clear that head coach Karl Smesko didn’t want to break the chemistry of his first five and will likely continue to do so through the rest of the season.

For someone as experienced as the six-time All-Star, she might not have any delusions that she will be upgraded to a starting spot on a team that is already humming well. Therefore, her services will be crucial off the bench.

If DeWanna Bonner can score anywhere close to what she has managed to this season from the bench, the Dream will become a serious threat when the going gets tough in the later stages of the playoffs. That second unit is crucial if the team wants to take the next step and challenge for a championship.

DeWanna Bonner will add to spacing worries

The Atlanta Dream’s starting five have so far managed to fix their spacing concerns. That allowed Angel Reese to have a career year, and also ended up notching rebounding records.

But the second unit has a problem, particularly with shooting. That concern shows up even when Karl Smesko mixes his lineups to add variation. Isobel Borlase might be a terrific young prospect, but she is better at driving the ball than shooting from distance.

Te-Hina Paopao has been inconsistent, which compounds the problem when Madina Okot and Brionna Jones are both on the floor. DeWanna Bonner can score from the midrange and beyond the perimeter.

But Smesko will mostly be interested in the former, as the career 41.4% shooter can inflict damage with her length and shooting. That will also open driving lanes for Borlase, or the centers, to thrive in.

Overall, this signing looks like a win-win, at least on paper. The Dream will have the benefit of having their head coach and most of their players around during the World Cup break.

It will be a good time to get DeWanna Bonner up to speed and use the final few regular-season games to get her synced with her new teammates. If all that works out, Angel Reese might be in pole position to be the first of her vaunted golden generation to win a WNBA championship.

Also Read:

• Rookie Sydney Taylor’s Clutch Game-Winner Over No. 2 Valkyries Stuns Fans – “Absolutely Sick”
• Police Escort Sophie Cunningham Supporter Away After Heated Scene Outside Barclays Center Before Fever vs. Liberty Game