“I took some time away from basketball. I went into the modeling lane a little bit.” That step into modeling was how DeWanna Bonner selected to mentally reset after a considerably tumultuous 2025 season. And as it seems, she’s been doing fairly nicely in that lane, making her runway debut, touchdown high-fashion collaborations, and participating in various shoots which have achieved nothing however draw consideration.
Her newest work within the modeling house has, in fact, drawn fairly a little bit of consideration. She shared footage and movies from her most up-to-date shoot in an Instagram publish on Tuesday, April 21, and they had been extensively admired, with followers and even fellow gamers dropping compliments. Two of these got here from Angel Reese and her former Indiana Fever teammate Mikayla Timpson, who each merely reacted with three smiling face with heart-eyes emojis “.”
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And in fact, DeWanna Bonner acknowledged these reactions, responding with coronary heart emojis of her personal. She and Timpson, particularly, had been just lately teammates on the Indiana Fever, though it was fairly transient. The Fever drafted Timpson nineteenth total in April 2025, becoming a member of a roster that had signed Bonner as a veteran free agent in February. However, their time collectively was short-lived. Bonner performed solely 9 video games for Indiana earlier than stepping away for private causes in June 2025. She was subsequently waived on June 25, 2025, and signed with the Phoenix Mercury two weeks later.
Her untimely exit from Indiana is maybe one key contributor to the psychological pressure she has spoken about, as she acquired backlash following the transfer. As she stated, “It’s been tough. I went through a lot, especially the cyberbullying and things like that, but just thankful for my teammates, my family, my kids.” The 38-year-old guard is now on a restoration path with the Mercury, the workforce she joined after leaving Indiana.
With the Mercury, she turned a premier reserve, fueling the workforce’s deep run to the 2025 WNBA Finals. She led all WNBA reserves in scoring with 10.6 ppg and in steals with 0.9 spg through the season. In 11 playoff video games, she averaged 9.1 factors and 6.8 rebounds. Most notably, in Game 3 of the Finals in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces, she recorded 25 factors and 10 rebounds in a slim loss.
It’s secure to say that the Mercury, as nicely as her modeling journey, has helped Bonner’s restoration. As she stated final season following their Game 4 win over the Minnesota Lynx within the semifinals, “They brought joy back to me just watching them play that way and welcome me like that.” The franchise additionally confirmed help, dropping a touch upon her publish, writing, “She’s everything.”
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Now, DeWanna Bonner is about to kick off the 2026 season with the Mercury. Of course, this isn’t simply her second stint with the franchise, she initially joined the Phoenix Mercury as the fifth total in 2009 and performed there till 2019. During that point, she gained two WNBA championships with the workforce, in 2009 and 2014. Perhaps she will be able to repeat that feat as soon as once more this season.
DeWanna Bonner’s publish has additionally drawn fairly various reactions from followers. And in fact, a lot of them had been about how beautiful she regarded.
Fans See Supermodel Potential in DeWanna Bonner
One fan in contrast Bonner to iconic American singer and actress Whitney Houston, saying, “So beautiful DB I had to double take, you look like Whitney Houston .” Another fan, additionally complimenting her, wrote, “A beautiful black Queen.”
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Some followers are additionally absolutely shopping for into the modeling path she’s now exploring. One fan was even already predicting that she would transition into it absolutely after she places an finish to her basketball profession. “And when basketball is done, modeling full time it is!!,” the fan stated. Another then referred to her as their favourite supermodel, writing, “DB! Good Lord! You are stunning! My favorite WNBA superstar. My favorite supermodel!”
For one fan, nevertheless, these beautiful footage merely constructed anticipation for the season forward. But past simply the video games, her pleasure, as she put it, was concerning the “tunnel fits.” “Modeling on the side can’t wait for the tunnel fits!!! ,” she stated.
Fortunately, this fan wouldn’t have to attend for lengthy, as the Phoenix Mercury play their first preseason sport on April 25, simply three days away. They additionally open their common season on May 9 in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces.
Starting the season with a win in opposition to the facet that denied them the title final season could be excellent.
