DeWanna Bonner has a chance to add a third WNBA title to her illustrious trophy cabinet. Upon reaching the WNBA Finals with the Dream, the veteran forward posted inspirational stories on her social media. 

Just one year after helping the Phoenix Mercury reach the championship series, Bonner has done the same in her first season. The veteran reflected on the Dream's chemistry in a recent interview.

“I think how much we care for each other," Bonner said on NBC Sports. "They were already that way before I got here and, then when I got here, I'm like, 'Yeah, they really cared for each other.' They kind of made me feel that same energy.”

On her Instagram story, Bonner reflected the same spirit as she shared a picture with the team and one with her teammate Angel Reese.

Bonner added Beyoncé’s "BIGGER" as the background song. It’s clear that the 17-year WNBA veteran tried to reflect the team spirit in the stories. 

In fact, Bonner is a leader in the locker room and her teammates look up to her in tense situations. 

"And I think they just look at me, and they look at my eyes," Bonner added. "I can't show any like pressure or any signs of like being rattled because I've been here before.”

Bonner has featured in a staggering 103 games in the playoffs, the most by a WNBA player. Her experience played an instrumental part in leading the Dream to the finals. 

With tensions at an all-time high, Bonner made the two free throws with 6.2 seconds left that gave the Dream the 85-83 win Friday night. 

Reese has also pointed out that Bonner’s words gave the team confidence in the overtime win in Game 2. 

Veteran leadership in clutch moments

The overtime win turned the tide heavily in the favor of the Dream. Reese revealed Bonner’s words that sealed the win. 

“We wanted to make sure we stayed poised,” Reese said, per ClutchPoints' Malik Brown's X post. “DB told us the usually the first team that scores is the team that wins that overtime, and she kept telling us that. So she gave us that confidence and we felt it.” 

The Dream followed Bonner’s mantra, scoring the first five points of overtime. They went on to win 101 - 98 and brought the momentum into Game 3. 

As the Dream now face the Valkyries in the finals, Bonner has been to the finals before and will play a crucial role. 

Written by

Avishek Sarkar