Indianapolis – Jonquel Jones had a career-high 29 points and 11 made field goals while also collecting 15 rebounds as the Connecticut Sun avenged an early season defeat at Indiana, beating the Fever 91-85 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
Point guard Jasmine Thomas scored 22 points for the Sun (8-7), including a huge three-pointer – her fourth of the night – from the baseline with 47.3 seconds left that put Connecticut ahead 88-85. The assist on that shot belonged to Alyssa Thomas (15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds), who found Jasmine Thomas open in the left corner.
Neither Thomas played in the first meeting between the teams, an 81-79 Sun loss back on May 20th.
It was the second straight win, and eighth in 11 games for Connecticut, which also won its fifth game on the road this season. That is the most among teams in the Eastern Conference.
The leading rebounder in the WNBA, Jones dominated for much of the night. She was 11-of-13 from the field with a pair of three-pointers, and helped ice the win by grabbing the last of her rebounds with 13.9 seconds remaining and the Sun leading 88-85. She then made 1-of-2 free throws with 11.4 seconds left to close out the Fever (7-8).
It was the fourth straight double-double for Jones, who has nine on the year. She actually secured her double-double in the first half, grabbing 15 points and 12 rebounds before intermission as the Sun built an early 15-point lead.
Jasmine Thomas had 13 points with two made threes in the first half for the Sun, who shot 51.4 percent (18-of-35) in that first half, which ended with the Sun leading 47-40.
Led by Shenise Johnson (22 points, six rebounds), Erica Wheeler (16 points), Candice Dupree (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Briann January (12 points), the Fever continually rallied in the second half.
But Connecticut always had an answer.
When the Fever finally did take their first lead since 2-0 on a pair of free throws from Erlana Larkins with 2:48 left to make it 81-80, Shekinna Stricklen calmly responded with a three-pointer to put the Sun back in front 83-81.
The game would be tied twice more, at 83-83 and 85-85. But then Jasmine Thomas hit her three-pointer and Connecticut held on in the last minute.
The Sun – on pace to set a WNBA record for team three-point shooting percentage – made 9-of-16 from behind the arc. Connecticut is 112-of-252 (.444 percent) this season. New York set the WNBA record in 2010, making .409 (233-of-570) of its threes.
Connecticut returns to action on Wednesday, July 5th at San Antonio. Game time is set for 8 p.m. ET.