The reigning WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones should be considered for the All-WNBA First Team, considering the season she’s been having.
The All-First Team is no longer composed by position like it used to be, with two guards, two forwards and one center. It is now positionless, and the five players selected can take on any combination of roles.
Jones, a 6-foot-6 forward, stuffs the stat sheet night-to-night for the Connecticut Sun and is an all-around difference-maker. With one regular season game remaining, she is averaging 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. She is also shooting 50.9% from the field, along with 78.9% from the charity stripe.
The Sun took to Twitter to make a case for why Jones is deserving of First Team honors, providing four valid reasons.
1. In this season’s 35 games (32 of which she played in), she has scored in double figures in 26 of them. That’s 10-plus points in just under 82% of the contests.
2. Jones has recorded 11 double-doubles this season. She is one of six players in the WNBA with more than 10 double-doubles.
3. The forward has been a defensive weapon, collecting 36 blocks. This is good for top 10 across the league in both total blocks and blocks per game (1.1).
4. She is also impactful on the glass, sitting in third across the league in total rebounds (277) and fourth in rebounds per game (8.7).
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou and M.A. Voepel — each of whom votes on the media panel for the major WNBA awards — shared their picks Thursday as the playoffs near. They all agreed that Sun forward Brionna Jones should take home the Sixth Player of the Year award.
Pelton’s First Team included Jonquel Jones, although the list of players by Philippou and Voepel didn’t. Pelton chose Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, Candace Parker and Kelsey Plum for his list.
The Bahamas native has the ability to get the team going with her efforts on both ends of the court. After quite an impressive year so far, the forward should get the recognition she deserves.
