DeWanna Bonner bestowed exclusive honors amid Auburn jersey retirement

When Connecticut Sun star DeWanna Bonner retires from the WNBA, she’s going to be remembered as one of the greatest players in history and a sure-fire Hall of Famer. But before she was drafted into the WNBA, she was a star at Auburn becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer. The 2009 SEC Player of the Year, Auburn will honor DeWanna Bonner’s in a jersey retirement ceremony this weekend during their game against Alabama. Ahead of the ceremony, the mayor of Auburn, Ron Anders, declared Jan. 21 ‘DeWanna Bonner Day’ from here on out.

IT’S OFFICIAL: January 21st is “DeWanna Bonner Day” ????????‍⚖️

Today, Mayor Anders proclaimed January 21st “DeWanna Bonner Day” in the city of Auburn! pic.twitter.com/UmLxiMW8II

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) January 19, 2024

It’s not everyday that somebody gets a day named after them. And it’s safe to say that this won’t be the last time that DeWanna Bonner has a jersey retirement. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, Bonner is a five-time All-Star and a two-time WNBA champion. It seems obvious that the Mercury would retire Bonner’s jersey whenever she decides to hang ’em up.

This past season, DeWanna Bonner was one of the oldest players in the WNBA but was still producing at an All-Star level for the Sun. She played in all 40 games at a little over 30 minutes per game. She averaged 17.4 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 42.5 percent shooting from the field, 32.9 percent shooting from the three point line and 86.2 percent shooting from the free throw line.

In the playoffs, the Sun advanced to the semifinals falling to the New York Liberty in four games. With a core of Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and presumably Brionna Jones, the Sun are set to be contenders for the foreseeable future.