Jones drops in two more double-doubles

Jonquel “JJ” Jones continues to play well for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in Europe, while her team in the United States, the Connecticut Sun, continues to struggle in her absence.

It’s showing just how valuable she is to both squads, and her time away from the Sun may actually help her Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidacy this season. Jones is undoubtedly one of the top players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), averaging 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game for the Sun this season – the only player currently averaging a double-double in the league.

Over in Europe, Jones, who hails from Holmes Rock, Grand Bahama, helped lead BiH to a 2-1 win/loss record in group stage play of the 2021 European Women Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket Women 2021. Jones and BiH women’s national team breezed past the Belgium squad, 70-55, last Thursday, then defeated Turkey, 64-54, on Friday, before falling to Slovenia, 91-81, on Sunday.

They play Croatia today for the right to advance to the quarterfinals against France on Wednesday. Both games are set for the Rhénus Sport in Strasbourg, France.

In the FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike, Belgium is the highest ranked team in Group C of the EuroBasket Women 2021 at number six. Turkey is right behind them at number seven, Slovenia is ranked at number 30, and BiH is at number 34.

France and Croatia, who both played out of Group D in the EuroBasket Women 2021, are ranked at numbers five and 31, respectively.

Against Turkey on Friday, Jones turned in her second straight double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing a whopping 15 rebounds – both game-highs. She added three assists, two steals and a block before fouling out on Friday night in Strasbourg. In their previous game on Thursday, Jones had 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds in a 70-55 victory for them over Belgium. Still, Belgium was able to win the group, based on point spread, and advanced directly to the quarters.

Against Turkey, Jones and BiH started the fourth quarter on a 17-0 scoring run and they never looked back. They transformed a 44-38 deficit after three into a double digit lead just four minutes into the fourth and final quarter. Jones was pivotal during that stretch with five points, including a three-point shot, three rebounds and two assists.

Turkey pulled with six points, 60-54, on two free shots from Melis Gulcan, but there was just 1:04 left on the clock. The BiH team scored the final four points to put the game away.

Jones, starting at center for BiH, shot 7-for-17 from the field and 3-for-9 from three-point land.

On Sunday against Slovenia, BiH’s defense let them down as they gave up 91 points, falling 91-81.

Jones was spectacular again, this time scoring 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds for her third straight double-double in the EuroBasket Women 2021. Jones added three assists, three blocks and two steals, but her team couldn’t cool down the torrid shooting of Slovenia who shot 51.4 percent from the field (36-for-70) and 50 percent from three-point range (12-for-24).

Slovenia took control of the game with a 31-12 burst in the second quarter, and built as much as a 25-point lead in the second half, but still had to hold on down the stretch. BiH pulled to within three points in the final two minutes of the game but couldn’t complete the comeback as Slovenia got a layup from Eva Lisec and Nika Baric buried a pair of clutch free shots to help them hold on for the win.

The qualifying game for the quarterfinals will be held today and the quarterfinals are set for Wednesday. The semifinals and final will be held on June 26 and 27 at the Pavelló Municipal Font de Sant Lluís in Valencia, Spain.

The top six nations from the EuroBasket Women 2021 advance to qualifying tournaments for the 2022 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Meanwhile, the 

Connecticut Sun has lost all three games in Jones’ absence, but is still third in the WNBA Standings with a 8-5 win/loss record.

In their first game without Jones this season, the Sun was blown out on their home court, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. They lost 89-66 to the defending champions Seattle Storm.

The Sun then went on to lose a twin bill to the Chicago Sky, falling 81-75, on Thursday, and 91-81 on Saturday. They host the Dallas Wings tomorrow night, again without Jones.

Through the Sun’s first 10 games, Jones was having a stellar season, helping them match their best start in franchise history. The 27-year-old sixth-year center out of George Washington University is second in the league in scoring and leading the way in rebounds while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor and 48.9 percent from three-point range – both career highs and top five in the league in both.

Jones is also second in the league in Fantasy Points at 43.7, trailing former league MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm who is at 44.2.

Jones’ availability for the Sun following tomorrow’s game will be determined by how far BiH advances in EuroBasket Women 2021.

The Sun trails the defending champions Storm (12-2) and the 2020 WNBA runner-up Las Vegas Aces (10-3) in the standings.

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