ATLANTA — DeWanna Bonner was brought in for moments like this.
After reaching a contract buyout with the Phoenix Mercury in late August, Bonner joined the Atlanta Dream with a stacked résumé that includes six All-Star selections, two WNBA championships and a league-record 101 playoff games.
The Dream didn’t necessarily seek out Bonner to deliver headline-worthy performances.
Atlanta needed her experience and leadership.
On Sunday, though, the Dream got all three.
With Allisha Gray sidelined by an injured left hand, Bonner delivered one of the biggest performances in the Dream’s 92-82 win against the Liberty.
Bonner scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out two assists in more than 30 minutes off the bench in Game 1 of the semifinals.
The Dream entered halftime trailing 40-37 after Gray was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Atlanta needed someone to help stabilize the offense and provide another reliable scoring option alongside Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard.
Bonner answered the call.
Not only did she aid Atlanta in overcoming Gray’s absence, but Bonner was also credited with delivering a fiery halftime speech that helped fuel the Dream’s dominant third-quarter run that ultimately led to Atlanta taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Questions remain about Gray’s availability for the rest of the playoffs.
After the game, Dream coach Karl Smesko didn’t have an immediate update on Gray.
“Hopefully she’ll be OK,” Smesko said.
If Gray can’t play, the Dream don’t have to look far for a suitable answer.
They have Bonner.
Of course, it’ll take a team effort to fill the void left by Gray, who averaged a team-high 19 points this season.
Bonner took on a meaningful portion of the scoring burden in Gray’s absence Sunday, shooting 10-for-18 from the field and connecting on three 3-pointers.
The scoring may be better distributed among the rotation in future games.
But Bonner, playing in what could be her final postseason, showed Sunday that the 39-year-old still has plenty left in the tank and can swing a game.
“She’s a fantastic player,” Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said. “She protects the rim, she has the ability to make 3s, she gets to the rim on offense so that’s a good acquisition for them. She plays well, she fits that system and yeah, she had a huge impact on this win.”
Satou Sabally is set to return to Unrivaled for another season.
Sabally participated in the 3-on-3 basketball league’s inaugural season in 2025 but missed all of last season after suffering a concussion during the 2025 WNBA Finals.
Sabally suffered a second concussion in late June that prematurely ended her WNBA season. The Liberty officially ruled her out last month.
