It was a milestone night for Bahamian Jonquel “JJ” Jones on Tuesday as she surpassed a 2,000-point plateau, dropping in 17 points to help her team, the Connecticut Sun, take down the Minnesota Lynx, 72-60, at the Mohegan Sun Arena, in Uncasville, Connecticut. It was the fourth straight win for the Sun, and they improved to a 16-6 win/loss record, pulling even with the Seattle Storm for second in the standings. They trail the league-leading Las Vegas Aces (17-6) by just a half game.
Jones, a three-time all-star, got to the milestone at the 4:41 mark of the third quarter when she made a jump shot from the elbow for her 15th point of the game. That brought her career total to 2,001 points in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She now has 2,003 total career points, which she accomplished in 153 games. What makes it even more special is that she did in front of Sun fans.
The Grand Bahamian is ranked 129th on the all-time scoring list and 38th among active players.
The 6’6” post player was a force to reckon with on Tuesday as she showed her offensive arsenal with some jab steps, spins and finger rolls. The Lynx had a tough time defending her. Jones finished the night shooting 6-for-14 from the field, 42.9 percent, despite going 0-for-3 in her three-point attempts. It was a perfect night for her from the charity stripe as she made all five of her attempts, and her team finished 14-for-16 from the line.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate topped off her night by notching her 12th double-double of the season when she grabbed 13 rebounds to go with her 17 points. It was her 51st career double-double. She also had four assists on Tuesday, and was a menace on the defensive side of the ball with three steals.
Jones got herself on the scoreboard at the 6:24 mark of the first quarter on a cutting layup to put the Sun up 8-5. Jasmine Thomas had the assist. By the end of the first quarter, Jones had racked up seven points and grabbed five rebounds. The Sun led by 13 points with a 27-14 scoreline at the end of the first quarter.
It was a balanced second quarter for both teams in terms of scoring but the Sun still went into the half with a 42-28 lead. They kept the intensity up in the second half to come away with the win.
Thomas led the Sun with a game-high 19 points. Sylvia Fowles scored a team-high 14 points for the Lynx.
The Sun are tied for second with the Storm in the standings and still lead the Eastern Conference. They have won eight of their last 10 games and busted the Lynx’s eight-game winning streak on Tuesday.
It was a strong defensive game for the Sun as they forced 17 turnovers. They were cautious in the aggressiveness as the Lynx only attempted seven free-throws for the entire game.
Both teams will face off against each other again tonight, at the same venue, as the Sun goes for a fifth straight win. The game will be televised live on NBATV and tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The post Jones reaches 2,000-point plateau; Sun win fourth straight game appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-reaches-2000-point-plateau-sun-win-fourth-straight-game/
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