The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Jonquel Jones received the first of what many pundits anticipate will be several postseason awards in recognition of her stellar 2021 WNBA season.

The Connecticut Sun All-Star forward was unanimously voted the Associated Press’ Player of the Year and was named to the All-WNBA First Team.

Jones has previously been honoured by the AP as its Most Improved Player in 2017 and in 2018 as its Sixth Woman of the Year.

The Sun won several awards when the AP announced its list of winners, including a first place finish as a team in the final Power Poll of the season, Most Improved Player Briona Jones and Coach of the Year Curt Miller.

Jones led the league with 18 double doubles, averaged 19.4 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game - all career highs. She also added 1.3 blocks per game, shot 52 percent from the field, 80 percent from the free throw line and 36 percent from beyond the three point arc. Jones became the 1st WNBA player to average over 19 points, over 11 rebounds, and more than one steal and one block per game in a single season.

“She is the elite rebounder in the world when she plays. She anchored an historic rebounding season for us. She’s the main piece for that. We hung our hat on that,” Miller said. “The record-breaking type of season we had rebounding wise is a contributing factor to our win-loss success.”

Earlier this week, Jones was named the league’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season. She also won the award for June and August.

For the month of September, Jones led the Sun to a 5-0 record averaging 15.4 points, 12 rebounds and three assists per game.

She was also named a Peak Performer as the WNBA rebounding leader at 11.2 boards per game. It was her third time leading the league, having also led the league in 2019 and 2017.

The Sun had an historic finish to the 2021 WNBA regular season with a 14-game winning streak and now set their sights on the postseason as the No. 1 overall seed.

Their 26-6 record includes a 15-1 record at home in the Mohegan Sun.

As the top overall seed, the Sun have earned a double bye through to the semifinals.

Connecticut will host game one of the best-of-five series against the lowest seeded team to emerge from the second round.

Since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016, the No. 1 seed has reached the championship round every year.