Uncasville, CT (September 20, 2022) – USA Basketball announced that the 2022 USA Women’s World Cup Team will include Connecticut Sun players Brionna Jones and Alyssa Thomas.
After having closed out their regular season just two days ago with a trip to the WNBA Finals, the pair will compete at the 2022 FIBA World Cup starting on Thursday in Sydney, Australia (Wednesday in the United States).
Jones, the 2022 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, played all 36 games for Connecticut in the regular season, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 25.1 minutes per game. She ranked 20th in the WNBA in scoring, fourth in field goal percentage (56.9) and second in offensive rebounds (2.6 per game). The 6-3 forward from Havre de Grace, MD was also named a WNBA All-Star for her second consecutive season.
Thomas returned to the Connecticut Sun this season after missing all but six games of the 2021 campaign recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. She started in all 36 of the Sun’s games this regular season, leading her team in assists (6.1), steals (1.7) and minutes played (32.1) per game. Thomas finished the regular season second in the league in steals, fifth in rebounding (8.2) and fourth in points in the paint (9.6) per game. She was named a 2022 WNBA All-Star, the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice (5/23, 7/25), the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month twice (May, July), and a member of the All-WNBA Second Team this season. The eight-year veteran capped off her 2022 season, tallying the first and second WNBA Finals triple-doubles in league history in consecutive games, making her the only player to have achieved triple doubles in back-to-back games and to have amassed four in a single season.
The 2022 FIBA World Cup, which will feature 12 national teams, is scheduled for September 22-October 1, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. Games will be available live on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN+ (check local listings). The USA will look to win its fourth consecutive World Cup, dating back to 2010. As part of Group A, the US will start play against Belgium on Wednesday, September 21 at 9:30 P.M. EST/Thursday, September 22 at 11:30 A.M AEST. For more information, click here.
Established in 2003, the Connecticut Sun is a professional women’s basketball team in the Women’s National Basketball Association that takes residence at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit www.connecticutsun.com.
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