The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JONQUEL Jones received another postseason accolade and the WNBA semifinals matchup is set for her Connecticut Sun as they prepare to make their 2021 postseason debut this week.

Jones was one of four Sun players to receive WNBA All-Defensive team honours when the league office made the announcement yesterday.

Jones and Briann January received first team awards while Jasmine Thomas and Brionna Jones were named to the second team.

Jones and January were joined on the first team by Brianna Turner (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx) and Brittney Sykes (Los Angeles Sparks).

It was the second time the Grand Bahama native received WNBA All-Defensive First Team honours (2019).

Jones led the league with 18 double doubles and was the league’s leading rebounder at 11.4 boards per game. She also 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 line. 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 received her third WNBA Peak Performer award for rebounding and also averaged 8.7 defensive rebounds per game, also first in the WNBA. In 27 games, she pulled down more than 10 rebounds in 19 contests and grabbed more than 10 defensive rebounds in 10 contests. Her blocks numbers ranked 10th in the league and she ranked 15th in steals.

The top seeded Sun will face the No.6 seed Chicago Sky in the WNBA’s best-of-five semifinals series. Connecticut will host game one September 28 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut at 8pm local time, broadcast live on ESPN2.

The Sky defeated the Dallas Wings in round one and upset the third seeded Minnesota Lynx in round two to advance.

The Sun will also host game two on Thursday, September 30. The series will shift to Chicago for game three on October 3 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois at 1pm local time. Game four (if necessary) will also be hosted in Chicago on October 6 and game five (if necessary) will be back in Connecticut.

In the other semifinal series, the second seeded Las Vegas Aces will host the fifth seeded Phoenix Mercury.

The Sun had an historic finish to the 2021 WNBA regular season with a 14-game winning streak.

Their 26-6 record includes a 15-1 record at home in the Mohegan Sun and earned a double bye to the semifinals.

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

Jones has previously received the Associated Press Player of the Year and First-Team honours when the organisation announced their awards last week.