Connecticut Sun forward Jonquell Jones is a lot of things.
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Aside from possessing a diverse skillset that allows her to embarrass her opponents from anywhere on the floor, she’s led the WNBA in rebounding three times, led the league in blocks in 2019, and has been a consistent presence on WNBA All-Star teams since being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016. And now, five years into her professional career, she can add another accolade to her already impressive resume: WNBA MVP.
On Tuesday, the league announced the news and per ESPN, the voting wasn’t even close:
Forward Jonquel Jones won the MVP honor with 48 of 49 first-place votes and 487 total points from a national media panel. Phoenix center Brittney Griner finished in second place with 224 points and got the other first-place vote. Seattle forward Breanna Stewart was third (156), Minnesota center Sylvia Fowles was fourth (137) and Washington center Tina Charles fifth (127). Stewart (2018), Fowles (2017) and Charles (2012) are all past MVP winners. The honor marked a steady progression for Jones, who won the WNBA’s most improved award in 2017 and was sixth player of the year in 2018.
In her first season back after skipping out on the WNBA Bubble in 2020, the six-foot-six Jones has put up impressive averages of 19.4 points, 11.2 boards, 1.3 blocks, and nearly three assists per game. She also helped push the Sun to a WNBA-best 26-6 record, who fell to Candace Parker’s Chicago Sky in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals.
Following in the footsteps of another great player, Washington’s Tina Charles, Jones becomes the second Sun player ever to win the MVP award. The Bahamas native will also receive a cash prize of $15,450 and a trophy by Tiffany & Co.
“What does it take to be an MVP-type player, not just a great player? “It’s her ability to continue to keep adding to her game and play both sides of the ball,” her coach, Curt Miller, said. “She became more of a rim protector, and has established herself for a long time now as one of the premier rebounding players in the world.”
He continued, “The offense has been written about a lot. She has incredible touch and the ability to play with her back to the basket. But what makes her special is her playing away from the basket and her ability to shoot the 3.”
Congrats to Jonquel!
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