UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) 鈥 DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas have found a comfortable work-life balance in the WNBA.
They are the unquestioned leaders of the Connecticut Sun on the court and life partners off of it.
Behind their combined scoring average of 32 points, Connecticut has won its first nine games of the season. On Saturday, the Sun host second-place New York (9-2) on national television.
鈥淭hey really are the heart and soul of this franchise,鈥 coach Stephanie White said. 鈥淵ou think about not just what they do, on a day-to-day basis, but the consistency with which they鈥檝e done it since they鈥檝e been here. They鈥檝e raised the level of intensity in practice every day.鈥
Bonner is averaging 19.1 points. The five-time All Star moved into fifth place on the WNBA's career scoring list during a season-opening victory over Indiana, passing former wife Candice Dupree off an assist from Thomas.
Thomas, a four-time All-Star, leads the WNBA with 8.8 assists a game. She had her 12th triple-double in the opener against the Fever.
Since becoming teammates in 2020, Bonner and Thomas have led Connecticut to three WNBA semifinals and the 2022 Finals.
Off the court, they have a wedding to plan 鈥 well, they will at some point. They began dating during the pandemic and
鈥淐learly we share different connections, off the court and on the court,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淚 feel like it just translates."
But basketball, at least for now, comes first.
A WNBA championship this season would be the third for the 36-year-old Bonner, who won two with the Phoenix Mercury, but the first for the 32-year-old Thomas. Bonner is in her 15th year in the league and Thomas her 11th.
Bonner and Thomas decided to put their wedding plans on hold as Thomas works toward her goal of making the Olympic team and playing in the Paris Games this summer.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a once in a lifetime experience,鈥 Bonner said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 something that is like set in stone on a date, and a wedding can be adjusted. So this is her time. I want her to have that attention and we focus on the wedding later.鈥
Teammates say the two have very different leadership styles, with Thomas being the more assertive on the court, and Bonner being the more loquacious off the court. for a hard foul she committed against Caitlin Clark on May 25.
But both, Olivia Nelson-Ododa said, demand the attention and respect of younger players.
鈥淭heir leadership, I mean, you really can鈥檛 put into words just how dynamic it is,鈥 third-year center Nelson-Ododa said. "You have both of them with just so much experience and them working together and then also just leading us. I mean, it makes us want to step out, step up our game and ... make sure that we鈥檙e on page with them. That we know exactly what we鈥檙e doing when we step on the court with them because they expect so much of us."
Bonner, the mother of 6-year-old twin daughters Cali and Demi, hasn't said whether this will be her last season. But she and Thomas, who will both be free agents after this season, have no plans to retire at the same time and aren't committed to staying on the same team forever.
鈥淲e both have our own individual careers and we do what鈥檚 best for ourselves," Thomas said. 鈥淪o none of that 鈥榰s being together鈥 factors into it."
In fact, sharing both a home and work life can be difficult, Thomas and Bonner acknowledged.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a gift and a curse right?鈥 Bonner said. 鈥淏ecause there鈥檚 time that we go at it and we鈥檙e competitors. So there鈥檚 times that we do bump heads on the court. But once we walk off the court, you know, outside of those lines, that鈥檚 it about basketball. But on the court, I just feel like she knows me. I know her. She makes me better. She makes my job easier.鈥
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