Despite having her best season as a pro, Jonquel Jones and the Connecticut Sun came up one game short of capturing the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) title.
Jones had 25 points in an 89-79 loss to the Washington Mystics on Thursday night in the fifth and final game of the championship series.
Midway through the third quarter, it appeared as if the Sun would emerge victorious, building a nine-point lead and firing on all cylinders in the period. However, behind league MVP Ellen Della Donne, the Mystics managed to rally within two points ahead of the fourth quarter. In the final quarter, the Mystics pulled ahead by two on a jumper by Della Donne, which was followed by a Sun miss on the opposite end and a Kristi Tolliver layup to put the Mystics ahead by four (76-72).
The Sun’s cold shooting continued and Della Donne and Emma Meeseman added to the Mystics run to put them ahead by eight. Although the Sun managed to find some offense down the stretch, they didn’t get closer than within six points the remainder of the game.
Foul trouble was an issue for Jones in the game, which severely impacted the Sun on offense. When Jones was forced to the bench with 6:22 left in the third quarter with her fourth personal foul, the Mystics began to gain traction underneath the bucket and set the foundation for what eventually led to them pulling away in the fourth.
Although the Sun couldn’t capture the title, Jones was able to solidify herself a true superstar in the WNBA. She averaged 14.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game this season.
