The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JONQUEL Jones displayed why she is a star among WNBA stars and shined on the brightest stage among the league’s best players at its midseason classic.

Jones finished with a team high 29 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals, but her Team Stewart lost 134-112 to Team Wilson on July 10 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

In her fourth All-Star appearance, the Connecticut Sun forward shot 11-20 from the field and 5-11 from three-point range.

She was the only player in the game to total a double double.

Wilson and Stewart were named All-Star captains after finishing atop the fan votes for the game. Fowles and Bird, two legends in their final WNBA seasons, joined them for the game.

Jones was selected by Stewart to start alongside Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks) and Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces).

The remainder of the team included Kahleah Copper (Chicago Sky), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Phoenix Mercury), Jewell Loyd (Storm), Emma Meesseman (Sky) Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) and Alyssa Thomas (Sun). In addition to playing in the All-Star game, Jones also advanced to the semifinal of the WNBA Skills Challenge.

Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty won the competition.

In the 2021 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, Jones led Team WNBA All-Stars to a 93-85 victory over Team USA, grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds, while also notching 18 points and four assists.

She also finished second in the 2021 WNBA Three- Point contest, four points behind the Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot.

Jones is leading the Sun in points per game (15.1) and rebounds per game (9.4). She is also third in the league in rebounding and second in second-chance points per game (3.4).

She was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week May 30 to June 5, 2022, where she averaged 19.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest on the Sun’s 3-1 road trip out west against the Aces, Mercury and Storm.

The Sun will continue their schedule on July 13 when they host an afternoon matchup against the Indiana Fever at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.