DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas have been engaged since July 2023. The former is a 2X WNBA Champion and both times with Phoenix Mercury — the organization she was a part of for 10 years. It was also here Bonner met her former partner Candice Dupree, a relationship with who might have stirred Bonner on her views of managing the present one.

“My first relationship was so public, I just wanted to enjoy my relationship with [Alyssa] for a little bit before we let the world know and everybody formed their opinion,” she says. For her part, Thomas had always been very private when it came to her personal life. But according to SELF, she says, “For me to go public meant I was super comfortable with her.” And here’s how the two have fared.

DeWanna Bonner’s pre-Connecticut Sun journey

Connecticut Sun acquired Bonner in 2020 for 3 first-round draft picks for Phoenix. Bonner was selected 5th overall in the 2009 WNBA draft and helped Mercury win the championship in her rookie season; finishing with 11.2 points, 0.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. Before the WNBA, Bonner represented Auburn during her college career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,162 points. Also finished fourth in field goals (744), first in free throws (600), third in free throw percentage (.795), second in rebounds (1,047), and third in rebounding average (8.3).

But Bonner believes that she is more proud of her being a mom. Bonner gave birth to twins in 2017 and had to miss that season. “ I think it made me understand I’m not going to have this forever. That was the first time basketball was taken away from me and I couldn’t play. I’m gonna love this with everything I have because it’s not going to last forever. I know the feeling of having it for nine months and not being able to play. I actually went through a whole WNBA season and I had to watch on TV and it was really tough, ” via ELLIE LIEBERMAN. It was only after this that Bonner split up with Dupree and met her present fiancé and 4X WNBA All-Star, Alyssa Thomas two years later.

While DeWanna Bonner was coming off her pregnancy, Thomas was making a name for herself with Connecticut Suns; being voted into 2017 All-Star. She was a rising name for the franchise when Bonner fatefully joined her in 2020, after initially connecting online a year before.

Alyssa Thomas and her Sun’s journey

Just like Bonner, Thomas was a first-round pick. She did one better as she was selected overall #4 by New York Liberty. But they traded her to Connecticut Sun the same day. Her first season was quite average according to her standards as she only managed 10 points, 1.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. During her Collegiate days, she represented the University of Maryland, averaging 17.5 points, 3.6 assists, and 10.9 rebounds.

Basketball was not Thomas’ sport when she was a child. She excelled on the soccer field and didn’t want to play any other sport. Her mom Tina Klotzbeecher-Thomas reveals, “She threw a hissy fit up and down the hall. She was not happy about it at all.” She continues, “Two years later she chose basketball because she grew tired of the weather with soccer. And the time demands of both were too much. So we told her to choose one, and she chose basketball.”

“How about the improvement Connecticut has made?” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said on the live broadcast after the Thomas trade was announced. “Two of the best rebounders in the women’s college game in Chiney Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas.”

Even the former Connecticut Sun coach was impressed by a few glimpses from Thomas. “Alyssa was born for play in this league,” Donovan told the Hartford Courant after the Sun’s second preseason game against New York. Thomas had five points and five rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

The Connecticut Sun announced on Monday that their Indiana Fever clash is a sellout. In addition to this, it is the first time that the Suns are witnessing a first-game sellout since 2003. According to ESPN, a total of 8,910 tickets have been purchased until now. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever may have had very decent pre-season games. But with the likes of Kelsey Mitchell, Erica Wheeler, and Aliyah Boston they will be more than handy first challengers.