Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner was ejected late in the third quarter of Game 1 after officials ruled she punched Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron in the face during a heated first-round playoff clash between the Atlanta Dream and the Mystics.
The sequence unfolded after a physical battle for position in the paint. Players from both sides jockeyed under the basket as the game tightened. Bonner, signed by Atlanta in late August after a buyout from Phoenix, and Citron, Washington’s second-year scoring engine, got tangled. Officials stopped play, reviewed the contact, and assessed Bonner a flagrant foul and ejection. Citron remained in the game after being checked by trainers.
The ejection stripped Atlanta of a veteran wing at a critical moment in a best-of-three series the Dream hosted as the No. 4 seed. Washington entered as the No. 5 seed after a late-season surge that included a 16-of-19 finish and a first playoff berth since 2023. Citron had been central to that run, including a career-high 32-point night in a four-overtime win earlier in the year.
Bonner, a 2009 first-round pick and longtime WNBA veteran, was added to give Atlanta playoff experience and size off the bench behind Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray. The Mystics countered with Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, and Georgia Amoore around Citron.
Playoff basketball often turns on extra physicality. This one crossed the line the officials would not allow. Teammates from both benches stepped in as referees separated the players. Bonner left the floor; Citron stayed and continued to handle the ball.
The series now shifts with Game 2 in Washington. Atlanta must decide how to replace Bonner’s minutes and presence. Washington must keep Citron available and avoid retaliatory fouls that could cost them a starter.
The league typically reviews ejections involving contact to the head. A possible suspension would further thin Atlanta’s rotation if the series reaches a deciding game. For now, the image of a veteran leaving in the third quarter and a young star staying on the floor is what Game 1 will be remembered for—until the next whistle.
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