DeWanna Bonner And Mercury's Historic Year Leads To Championship

DeWanna Bonner was a part of the legendary 2014 Phoenix Mercury team, and she had some great games in that time.

Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner, right, celebrates with Yvonne Turner after hitting 40-footer to end the third quarter on Sunday against the Los Angeles Sparks at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Phoenix Mercury Vs Los Angeles Sparks / Cheryl Evans/azcentral sports

DeWanna Bonner has accomplished many things in her career, and in her first stint with the Phoenix Mercury, she won two championships. The Mercury won in 2009, which was Bonner's rookie season, then they won in 2014 due to their incredible year.

Bonner was the fifth pick of that year's draft, and she wasted little time in making a name for herself. She came off their bench and contributed, as she averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. The rookie ended up winning Sixth Woman of the Year, and she on to win it the next two years as well.

Sep 23, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Dewanna Bonner (24), guard Briana Gilbreath (15) and Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30)go for a rebound in the first half of game three of the Western Conference Semi-Finals at Staples Center. Phoenix won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After spending years on the bench, Bonner moved into a starting role, and by 2014, she was a starter for the dominant team that went 29-5 that season.

During that season, Bonner averaged 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals. She had a nice season, and in that time, she had some strong performances.

Sep 3, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Candice Dupree (4) receives congratulations from guard DeWanna Bonner (24) while playing against the Los Angeles Sparks during the second half at the US Airways Center. The Mercury defeated the Sparks, 93-77. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

In 2014, Bonner's season high in scoring was against the Los Angeles Sparks. She was the team's leading scorer in a balanced effort, as she had 22 points. She also had five assists, four rebounds, three steals and a block. Like her Auburn days, it was a performance where she impacted different areas. She was also efficient in this outing, as she made seven of her nine shot attempts.

Bonner leads Mercury in balanced effort

The Mercury's starters were excellent in that game. Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi had 18 points each. Griner had eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Taurasi had seven assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Penny Taylor had 12 points in that game, and she also three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Then, Candice Dupree had 10 points, and she had 11 rebounds, five assists and a block in the process. The Mercury played like this all season, and in this instance, they beat the Sparks 93-73.

Sep 21, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard DeWanna Bonner (24) steals the ball from the Los Angeles Sparks guard Marissa Coleman (25) in the second half during Game 2 of a WNBA basketball Western Conference semifinal series at US Airways Center. The Sparks defeated the Mercury 82-73. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images / Jennifer Stewart-Imagn Images

Bonner is a Mercury legend, and she helped the team accomplish something great that season. She played her part, while others like Dupree, Griner and Taurasi did what they do best. Dupree could fill the stat sheet, Griner has been a post presence her whole career, and Taurasi was an elite scorer.

Phoenix's 2014 season was memorable, and with performances like this from Bonner, they set themselves up to win it all.

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