The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JONQUEL Jones reached another career milestone this season and added another résumé builder to an MVP calibre 2021 season.

Jones scored her 2,000th WNBA point and posted the 51st double double of her career to lead her Connecticut Sun to a 72-60 win over the Minnesota Lynx Tuesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The All-Star forward finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun improve to an Eastern Conference best 16-6 record, 9-1 at home. They also snapped the Lynx’s league-best, eight-game winning streak.

The Grand Bahama native’s 2,000th point came on a jumper with just under five minutes left to play in the third quarter en route to her 12th double double of the season.

Jones is currently the WNBA leader on the boards at 11.1 rebounds per game and is second in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

She is shooting 40 percent from three-point range and her 31 three-point makes through just 17 games are on pace to set a new single season career high. Her previous career high is 50 three-point field goals made in 34 games of the 2018 season.

The Sun have 10 regular-season games remaining on their schedule, just 0.5 game behind the Las Vegas Aces (17-6) for the top overall record in the league. Jones has continued her positive momentum since the league returned from its break for the Tokyo Olympics.

She finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Sun’s 79-57 loss to the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game. She followed with 19 points and 14 rebounds in an August 15 win over the Dallas Wings.

On WNBA All-Star night Jones delivered an MVP calibre performance in an historic win for Team WNBA and a second place finish in the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest. She finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots in Team WNBA’s 93-85 win over the United States’ Olympic team at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jones was also named the Kia WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month in June.