How Mercury's Bonner And Others Controlled The SEC

The Phoenix Mercury have added some SEC Player of the Year winners, and two of them won championships with the team.

Aug 28, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) against the Chicago Sky at Phx Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) Women's Basketball Player of the Year was established in 1987, and Katrina McClain was the first player to win it. Fast forward to the present, and Madison Booker was the most-recent winner.

There have been many players who have won the award, and like the other awards, there are Phoenix Mercury ties. Nikki McCray won the award in 1994 and 1995, and she played for the Mercury in 2004. She signed a deal with them after spending two seasons with the Indiana Fever. Before that, she started her career with the Washington Mystics. She was one of the players they received through allocation, and in her rookie season, she averaged 17.7 points, 3.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

In her time with the Mercury, McCray played 27 games, and she started in nine of them. She averaged 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds during that time. After that, she played for the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Chicago Sky.

Kelly Miller won the award in 2000 and 2001, and while she was drafted by the Charlotte Sting, she played with the Mercury for three seasons. In her first season with the team, Miller averaged a career-high 11.0 points. She also averaged 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and a steal.

Detroit Shock's Deanna Nolan dribbles past Phoenix Mercury's Kelly Miller during Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Sept. 5. 2007. The Shock defeated the Mercury, 108-100. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Miller helps Mercury make history

The following year, averaged 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals. The Mercury won their first championship that year, as they beat the Detroit Shock.

Miller played another season with Phoenix, and after that, the Mercury traded her to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Nicole Ohlde.

Aug 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) against the Atlanta Dream at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Mercury had one other player who won SEC Player of the Year in her college years, as DeWanna Bonner won in 2009. Bonner had an excellent year, as she averaged 21.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.7steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 assists.

After that season, Bonner was drafted by the Mercury, and she averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in her rookie season. She won Sixth Woman of the Year, as she played 34 games and did not start in any of them. Bonner won two championships with the Mercury, and after playing for the Connecticut Sun and the Fever, she returned to Phoenix this year.

Aug 3, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) warms up before a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Bonner and the other winners were great in college, and when they reached the WNBA, they continued to shine.

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