Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are chasing a WNBA championship with the Sun while planning their wedding

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Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner have forged one of the most potent pairings in the WNBA while with the Connecticut Sun. Next up? Finishing up their wedding planning.

Winning in basketball is defined by talent, schemes, and the personalities that a game so intimate allows to shine through. But perhaps the most important ingredient in the recipe of competitive success is time. None can control it, but it has a consistent ripple of impact, touching the environment and the individuals within it, second by second.

The Connecticut Sun have felt this more than most franchises in professional sports, having made the semifinals of the WNBA postseason (including two Finals appearances) or further every year since the 2019 season. A title has eluded them, partially due to that difficulty of timing and what it brings: injury, inconsistency, and luck.

But timing has also done one other thing with the Sun: Brought two of the brightest stars of this generation of basketball together as they seek to hang a championship banner in Mohegan Sun Arena, and prepare to tie the knot after the 2024 season is over.

Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner will get married this coming offseason after an overflowing year of basketball since their engagement last July. With one of the premier connections in the WNBA on the court — while fostering an even deeper relationship off of it — it’s been a slow and steady process for two of the more reserved stars in the league over the past half decade. The first time they shared the court as teammates, Bonner stopped mid practice to exclaim that she didn’t know Thomas was “nice like that,” having known of her, and played against her, but not fully grasping her abilities from afar.

With 11 combined All-Star appearances, multiple award nominations, 10 combined All-WNBA & All-Defense honors, and a plethora of collegiate and youth accolades, Thomas and Bonner have crafted elite legacies over the past two decades (DeWanna was drafted in 2009, Alyssa in 2014). Yet, they didn’t actually have a conversation just the two of them until the winter leading up to the 2020 WNBA season.

“She stalked me on IG,” says Thomas with a laugh.

Bonner immediately butts in, the couple showcasing their playful banter throughout a conversation together at Connecticut’s practice facility.

“I was not stalking, I was looking,” Bonner says.

Bonner had no idea that posters could see who viewed their stories on Instagram, but Thomas was acutely aware.

Initial messaging over the picture-focused social media platform led to more cordial conversation and calls between the pair as they bonded while playing overseas, Bonner in Russia and Thomas in the Czech Republic. Their relationship remained strictly platonic, as each focused on their individual goals and development in the offseason. However, those aspirations crossed over as timing aligned to work its magic, with Bonner joining Connecticut via sign-and-trade in February of 2020 as that winter closed, seeking to help push a Sun team over the top that had just lost in the WNBA Finals.

As the reality of COVID-19 hit professional basketball, and the world at large, the 2020 season that was set to start on May 15 was postponed. In mid-June, the league announced they would play a condensed season in a bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, officially starting on July 25.

315 league players and personnel were isolated across 600 acres of a flat, grass-adorned prep school campus pocked with interspersed ponds; the entire WNBA apparatus condensed into just shy of one square mile. IMG is one of the premier prep schools in the world, but with players secluded on a high school campus for 73 days from the start of the regular season to the last game of the Finals, it would be an understatement to say that the Bubble did not mirror an actual season, or what life is like even outside of the flow of professional sports. Much like it was for everyone in that time, but with exacerbated circumstances, solitude and redefined social norms altered reality as real time abruptly stopped, and COVID time usurped it.

It also allowed for potentially the only set of circumstances where Bonner and Thomas could foster the seeds of a new relationship.

Just prior to the start of the 2020 season, Bonner’s twin daughters, Cali and Demi, turned three years old. Without them in her presence, Bonner felt like an entirely different person. She was still herself, but it’s not “real life” without her children around. Balancing and maintaining the life of an All-Star player and present mother simultaneously is not for the faint of heart, and the Bubble threw a wrench into that.

“Inside that Bubble, I had all the time… I’d never been that free since I had them. I wasn’t trying to get into another relationship, especially with a teammate, after I’d just come off of one. That just was not in my goals or vision at all,” says Bonner on her mindset entering the Bubble.

Bonner and a former Mercury teammate, Candice Dupree, were previously married and separated after Cali and Demi were born.

Thomas herself had just gotten out of a long-term relationship prior to when they initially connected overseas. Everything she does on court as one of the preeminent playmakers in basketball is calculated, precise, and with pace; she brings that same level of observation and detail off the court, but with patience and composure. She wanted to make sure she was good and in a healthy place, and not rushing into anything.

The connection was palpable between the pair, but the first two months of the Bubble were strictly defined by friendship and acclimating as teammates. They spent a great deal of time together during practice, games, and film sessions, but also later getting to truly know one another on a deeper level off the court.

Poolside lunches, walks around IMG’s campus, and playing cards were how they passed time early on as they talked. The couple openly admit that everyone there seemed to recognize their chemistry immediately, before they were even dating.

Each had concerns about how a relationship might work when life returned to normal, or whatever semblance of normal there would be outside Bradenton, Florida.

“I’m a mom first, and I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle that and understand that,” Bonner says now. “I didn’t know if I wanted to give that a chance or just keep my normal routine just me and my kids, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to put that on (Thomas).”

“I wanted to make sure that we were doing everything the right way, you know? We really communicated everything about each other before we just jumped into a relationship,” adds Thomas.

When they finally did take the leap into dating, creativity was a must with nowhere to go. Thomas surprised Bonner, sliding a handmade movie ticket under her door. The date, time, and film were all written on the ticket; though neither can remember what the movie actually was.

“She had all my favorite snacks and popcorn… It was pretty cool and really dope for the Bubble, because we couldn’t do anything,” says Bonner.

That first date was emblematic of how the efforts they’d have to take to work around the complexities of their schedules during their never-ending basektball seasons. Planning, flexibility, and ingenuity are crucial in how they keep things fresh.

“When we’re playing overseas and separate, you’ve got to use what you have,” says Thomas. “When we’re in-season, sometimes we have an off-day and don’t want to be up on our feet. So what can we do that doesn’t involve us leaving the house or utilizing what we have here? Just think outside the box.”

They always go to bat for what Connecticut can offer in the towns surrounding Uncasville on the coast, but also point out they don’t have access to some of the chain restaurants in the bigger cities of the league. Treating away trips as opportunities for mini-vacations and date nights outside of basketball is key. Trying new restaurants and spots is a priority, but Nobu and Zuma are two favorites they rarely pass up.

Bringing in the New Year together at the end of 2021 remains their favorite date. New Year’s is Thomas’ favorite holiday, and she was able to find some time away from Prague to close the year and surprise Bonner with a trip to Florida just the two of them. Thomas rented a house, had it decorated still with a Christmas tree and lights, and hired a personal chef to make dinner for them.

“We just had good food and good music, sat down and vibed and talked. I was kind of shocked, it turned out to be perfect,” says Bonner. “I thought she was going to propose and I was like, okay way too soon.”

“And then we got COVID,” chimes in Thomas.

But they reminisce that the following week and a half quarantining together and enjoying their own company was unforgettable, even if unplanned.

Bonner and Thomas both bring a fire and passion to the court as arguably two of the most demonstrative players in professional basketball, but they are starkly different off the floor. Bonner considers herself high stress and high anxiety, whereas Thomas is more relaxed and even keeled. Thomas is typically the coordinator, while Bonner can spend days flipping back and forth between a minor detail in their wedding planning. They view the balance in their communication as essential.

“Just trying to be the Yin to her Yang and reminding her, hey, everything’s going to be okay,” says Thomas.

However, their shared fire and competitive spirit still bleeds through in the fibers of their relationship. Even something small like an upcoming stop sign a block away on a walk will often lead to a challenge: whoever gets to it first has bragging rights. While the vying between the pair is genial, it’s also fierce and the winner will not be forgotten (although who won may frequently be disputed).

A competitive dynamic is essential to their relationship, and how they find equilibrium is vital. Bonner is fiery, but will be the first to pull a teammate aside, put her arm around them, and provide direction, commonly referred to as the mother of the Sun. Thomas is unswerving: a mistake is a mistake and it needs to be addressed on the court, something sternly ingrained in her by her mother, Tina who coached her throughout her AAU career. It takes someone special to not just endure, but enjoy the spirited nature of the Thomas household, says Alyssa.

“You have to be a different kind of person to be around my mom, because we are a very competitive family… I told her about the card game we were gonna play the first time she came in and she was like, ‘Yeah I’m gonna beat you all in cards,’” recounts Thomas as Bonner laughs.

She came in last that first weekend with the Thomas family, and has been doing so much of the past few years.

“They will break your spirit,” says Bonner jokingly.

Bonner was nervous to meet Thomas’ family for the first time, but that first weekend ingratiated her, and there’s been no looking back. Family support has been a crucial aspect of their relationship, essential in maintaining the lifestyle of two professional athletes at the tops of their respective games. Thomas’ younger sister, Alexia, often watches Bonner’s twin daughters and will spend a great deal of time in Uncasville during the season.

When Thomas first met Cali and Demi, that’s when Bonner knew that Thomas was “her person” and Thomas felt the same. Bonner wanted to introduce Thomas to the twins in person first, and give them the opportunity to feel it out; they’ve grown out of their shells but were shy and reserved at first. In the Bubble, everything could be centered around their own relationship, but back in real life, that one hundred percent of free time devoted to a budding relationship becomes miniscule.

“It’s what I have to do, I’m responsible for two humans, so it was just making sure that’s understood, and yeah, she gets it,” says Bonner. “They love her to death.”

“It was like starting over each and every day. You have to let them feel it out and vibe on their own and not force it,” says Thomas of her first few times interacting with Cali and Demi.

“She (Bonner) kept telling me in the bubble that it’s different, which I understood, and she expressed her concern and how she thought I would be scared or different with her being around them, but we just communicated and talked about it, and now we’re here,” says Thomas.

“They call themselves the three best friends… they don’t even pay attention to me anymore, it’s all just ‘AT AT AT’ and I’m just mom,” says Bonner.

Especially in the summer, swimming has been a big-time activity for Thomas and the twins. Inside the house dodgeball is also a particular favorite, a game that can be played regardless of the weather. If they’re at the beach, something as simple as “who can collect the most rocks?” will generate an energetic frenzy.

“Just because I said to do it, they think it’s cool,” says Thomas with a laugh. “They thought it was the best game ever.”

She continues to ingrain the Thomas family tradition of competition in any and everything in the next generation. She brings the same vigor and never-ending motor to engaging and connecting with Bonner’s kids as when she chases down a loose ball or initiates in the fastbreak.

“I saw how they took to her, and she to them… if you can get someone to love you and your kids at the same level, that’s the ultimate goal. She’s my person, that was it for me,” says Bonner.

Thomas and Bonner got engaged during the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, unexpectedly to Bonner. Both made the All-Star team; Thomas was playing herself into the MVP conversation, and Bonner was enjoying one of the best seasons of her career. With each a part of festivities and both families coming to the desert, Thomas felt it was the perfect time after having the ring ready for a few months.

Bonner had been going back and forth on when she wanted to get engaged. She kept telling Thomas she didn’t want to get engaged during the season so that they could have time to celebrate, but then oscillated back weeks before the event; Let’s just do it whenever.

“I had no idea it was going to be at All-Star… there was just so much going on I didn’t even think she’d have time to squeeze it in,” says Bonner.

As soon as Thomas found out both families would be in Vegas, she put in the call to an events company to help choose a location and set up the venue. The couple were with one another largely the entirety of All-Star, so there was no time to sneak away from Bonner and set it up herself.

She disguised going to the set up by saying she had to go to an event and wanted Bonner to come with her. So they got dressed up and took off to a secluded spot a decent ways off the Strip.

“The whole time, she was complaining in the car like ‘Who puts an event out there? I can’t believe this!’ and then we get there and I’m like, oh yeah it’s back by the pool ‘Why would they have it all the way back there?’,’ says Thomas, upping the octave on her voice to best mimic her fiancee.

“It was 120 degrees!” Bonner butts in.

“I’m like, just come on, just keep walking, and then she finally saw the setup, and she just froze in her tracks, so I knew I surprised her,” says Thomas with a grin.

This Olympic Break is going to be a significant step in wedding planning for Bonner, as she heads to France to be there for Thomas with Team USA.

Paris will be Thomas’ first Olympic appearance with the United States, something she doesn’t take lightly as someone who was snubbed from the McDonald’s All-American Game as a high school senior despite being ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the class of 2010 by ESPN. She describes the whole process of waiting for the call to see if she’d make the team as nerve-wracking, which she’s not accustomed to given her more relaxed nature. Being able to share that with her family moved her emotionally, and she’s just excited to represent and play on a team where she feels like a seamless fit.

Bonner is excited to treat this as a mid-season vacation and work with their wedding planner and make headway.

She’s always seeking out options and thinking about possibilities; What are the theme colors? Where do I want to have the ceremony? What’s the invitation going to look like?

“She has a vision that changes at least two times everyday, so I’m just here for the ride,” says Thomas, joking that Bonner is the advance scout and she’s the decision-maker who provides input.

Bonner is still working on piecing together the guest list, something the wedding planner has been asking about. With how stressed out Thomas had been with the Team USA process, and the couple also looking for a new house simultaneously, she took it on herself to shoulder wedding planning.

They want their wedding to be like a vacation, just with a wedding attached to it. Neither get to see family as often as they would like, so having a small group of their family and close friends together and spending time with them is high on the priority list heading into planning. They don’t want to spend too much money, they just want a big party surrounded by those they care about. They see a beach somewhere as the ideal place to have it, but that’s about the extent of planning before the Olympic Break.

They haven’t had much time to plan and prepare beyond that in the year since their engagement; A deep playoff run into early fall, Thomas heading overseas to play in China, a winter full of activities with the girls, Team USA trials and practices, and then free agency in February ensured that.

And the 2024 free agency period was a new kind of hurdle for Bonner and Thomas, the first time they experienced the process as a couple. Thomas is signed to a protected veteran contract through 2024. Bonner was an unrestricted free agent in the winter of 2024 before ultimately re-signing with the Sun on a one-year deal.

Bonner did think heavily about leaving, however, and weighed her options as a multitude of teams came calling.

“That was a different kind of roadblock in our relationship. It’s something that we really had to sit down and talk about,” says Bonner. “I think we did a great job of separating basketball and personal life.”

While they’re teammates and partners, they have different paths. Bonner is closer to the end of her career, even if she isn’t playing like it. Weighing through every option and sorting through what allowed them to align as a couple and as players was difficult. Thomas often pleaded her case for staying in Connecticut in a basketball sense, but also had to be willing to listen and talk through what was on the table for her fiancee in other situations and how she felt about the conversations she was having with other teams.

“It’s definitely hard. Every time she’s coming to me talking about, ‘I’m leaning towards this team or I’m leaning towards that team.’ And it’s like, you want to be from a relationship standpoint and be supportive. But from a basketball standpoint, it’s like… it’s not better than what we have, you know?” says Thomas.

For reference, no duo has been more prolific at setting each other up in the WNBA since the 2022 season, with Thomas assisting Bonner 201 times over the past two and a half seasons, just ahead of Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray and two-time MVP A’ja Wilson for the second spot, per PBP Stats.

“We’re great together on the court in what we’re able to do, I think just us two alone is better than any of the teams she thought about going to. So I still had to make my pitch as well, not even from a relationship standpoint, but from a basketball standpoint,” says Thomas.

That’s something they’ll have to handle again this coming offseason, as both will be unrestricted free agents. But that’s way off in the future as far as they’re concerned, and they’re firmly planted in 2024.

Bringing a WNBA Championship to Connecticut means something special to them, and they are central in the Sun’s efforts to make that happen — their record of 18-6 is second-best in the WNBA at the Olympic Break and on the heels of a significant midseason trade for veteran guard Marina Mabrey. This is home. It’s where they’ve grown together as individuals and become a family while simultaneously reaching their peaks as players. Although Bonner states she doesn’t want anything to do with the cold, she isn’t ruling out having the wedding in Connecticut.

“It means a lot to us here, I actually told her I wish she would’ve proposed in Connecticut, but I told her that later after she did it,” says Bonner before she bursts out laughing.

“She told me a lot of things leading into that too,” says Thomas with a side eye.

Uncasville, Connecticut is not the place most envision when they think about falling in love, but for Bonner and Thomas, this place is more than just basketball, it’s the place that brought them together in a way that only the timing of life can. So while they’re both hopeful and striving to make 2024 the year their hoped-for championship timing aligns with the Basketball Gods, they’ve crafted something special already.