The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Jonquel Jones and the Connecticut Sun are once again facing a must-win situation to keep their 2022 season alive.

Jones has averaged 15.5 points and 10 rebounds through the first two games of the WNBA Finals, but the Sun left Nevada with an 0-2 series deficit at the hands of the Las Vegas Aces.

Jones had 15 points and nine rebounds in a game one 67-64 loss followed by 16 points and 11 rebounds in an 85-71 loss in game two.

The best-of-five series shifts to Connecticut for games three (September 15 at 9pm on ESPN) and four if necessary (September 18 at 4pm on ESPN). A fifth and deciding game would be hosted by the Aces at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 20.

The Sun are 3-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far this season.

“We are taking it one game at a time. That’s all we can do. We are going to go back home, we are going to have our fans behind us, who have been with us all season, and we are going to use that to propel us to a win and that’s all we can do,” Jones said.

“We have another opportunity. That’s why it’s a series and like I said before, we’re going home and we’re going in front of our fans and we are going to use it to help us win the game.”

Connecticut did not make a field goal spanning from the 3:46 mark in the first quarter until the 8:04 of the second quarter. A total span of 6:42 of game action in Tuesday night’s loss.

Las Vegas led 68-54 after the third quarter after a game one performance where they scored only 67 points.

“I think they were just extremely aggressive,” Jones said. “I think we did a better job of playing one-on-one defence in Game 1 and we didn’t do as well of a job this game and I think that was the major difference, them just putting their heads down and getting to the basket and being able to finish through contact or getting to the free-throw line.

Tuesday night’s performance marked Jones’ 10th career postseason double-double and moved her into a tie for no. 12 all-time with Elena Delle Donne and Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

Jones also moved into fourth all-time in scoring in Connecticut Sun postseason history.

Sun head coach Curt Miller said the team will have to take a much different approach facing elimination.

“You can’t think big picture,” Miller said.

“That becomes overwhelming and daunting and feels, at times, bigger. It’s too big. So you’ve got to drill it down and we’ll get back to work with our preparation for Game 3, and all we talk about is Game 3, and in particular, all we are going to talk about is the first quarter, and that’s our approach.

“I think if you start thinking we have to win three in a row, we have to do those kind of things, it becomes big. So we are going to talk about Game 3 and Game 3 only and be ready for that first quarter.”