DeWanna Bonner came through for the Atlanta Dream with an incredible performance in their 92-82 win in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals over the New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon.
Bonner has been playing in the WNBA since 2009, going through her 17th year in the league. She has played a solid role in helping Atlanta shine as one of the best teams, securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
In 30 minutes of action off the bench, Bonner exploded with a crucial performance. She finished with a stat line of 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals. She shot 10-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Her efforts wound up making WNBA playoff history, especially with Bonner being at age 39, per StatMuse.
“The only players 39 or older with 20+ PTS in a playoff game: — Taj McWilliams-Franklin — Diana Taurasi — Alysha Clark and DeWanna Bonner,” the post read.
How DeWanna Bonner, Dream played against Liberty
Article Continues BelowDeWanna Bonner and the Dream fought through Game 1 against the Liberty despite seeing Allisha Gray go down with an injury. Atlanta came out of the series opener with a 92-82 win over New York at home.
The game started out as a close affair, seeing New York lead 40-37 at halftime. Atlanta came alive in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 32-15 as they controlled the momentum for the rest of the contest.
Four players scored in double-digits for Atlanta in the win. Jordin Canada led the team with a stat line of 25 points, five steals, four assists, one rebound, and one block. She shot 9-of-14 overall, including 4-of-6 from downtown, and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. Angel Reese came next with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Rhyne Howard provided 16 points and eight assists.
The Dream will look forward to Game 2 of their semifinal series against the Liberty. That contest takes place on Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET.