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Did the Connecticut Sun sacrifice too much to bring in DeWanna Bonner?

DeWanna Bonner after she and the Phoenix Mercury were bounced from the 2019 WNBA Playoffs. - USA TODAY

Last year, I argued that the Connecticut Sun needed to consider a big roster shakeup in order to take the leap into serious title contention. Thanks in part to injuries to major stars around the league and to the stellar chemistry that comes with keeping the same core together for years, they proved me wrong with a Finals appearance.

This year, Connecticut opened their coffers to finally add a big name: DeWanna Bonner. But it may have come at the expense of letting a few key players walk, including the heroic, undersized, fan-favorite Courtney Williams.

Connecticut ultimately found resourceful ways to fill out the roster, including sacrificing Morgan Tuck to add Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (in hopes of replacing Shekinna Stricklen's crucial 3-point shooting), and securing another former All-Star and former champion in Briann January in the trade that shipped out Williams. Still, these are all dominoes that fell after the first big decision was made, and that was to trade three first-round picks to the Phoenix Mercury to be able to pay Bonner the super max.

That means that many of the ripples that tore through the roster this offseason -- including the loss of Williams, Stricklen and Tuck as well as Layshia Clarendon, Rachel Banham and several draft picks -- could indirectly be part of the price paid for Bonner.

This is usually how sports go. Front offices make value judgments every day in trades and negotiations, but this specific situation is noteworthy because Sun vice president Amber Cox has all but admitted that her personal relationship influenced Connecticut's valuation of the 33-year-old Bonner, and that it was a major reason Connecticut chose to pursue her at the highest possible price.

To Sun fans that have witnessed the team rise from mid-tier to contention with the same young core, this means that either Bonner pushes the team to a championship before her age starts to show or this acquisition was a huge mistake of overvaluation.

That being said, Sun fans have much to be optimistic about. Whether or not the trade leads to a championship, Connecticut can be confident the team will continue to make the playoffs and compete against the best for the foreseeable future.The floor is low and the ceiling is high.

Is it high enough to bring Connecticut its first championship?

Time will tell.