Brionna Jones brings starter mentality to Connecticut Sun’s postseason bid vs. Chicago Sky

As the Connecticut Sun aim to keep their dreams of capturing the franchise’s first WNBA alive Tuesday when they face the Chicago Sky in Game 4 of their best-of-five semifinal series, they’ll rely heavily on their All-Star trio of Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones, who recently earned honors as the 2022 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year.

“Bri Jones is just an elite player, bar none,” Miller said prior to Sunday’s 76-72 loss, giving the defending champions a 2-1 series lead. “She plays both ends of the court for us. She is a proactive defender. …She sees actions before they happen, which allows her to be proactive and a post player that plays below the rim. So she is just so smart X’s- and O’s-wise, defensively.

“Offensively, she’s old school. She’s going to be a high-percentage finisher and inside, she’s physical. When she gets to her spots and touches where we want, she’s really difficult to stop.”

That sharp yet unselfish play earned Brionna Jones the second All-Star nod of her career this season as well as her second annual performance award. Last year, 26-year-old Maryland native was named the 2021 WNBA Most Improved Player. Jones, who earned 53 of 56 votes from a national media panel for the Sixth Player Award, came off the bench in 29 of 36 regular-season games in 2022 and started the other seven.

Her role on the bench was a significant change from her last two seasons as a starter, when she stepped in to fill the hole left by Jonquel Jones, who opted out of the 2020 bubble season due to COVID-19 concerns. But despite averaging five minutes less per game (25.1 minutes in 2022 vs. 30.6 in 2021) this year, Brionna Jones still put up similar numbers, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals. She