Uncasville, CT (November 15, 2021) – Last week’s international play saw explosive performances from Connecticut Sun players, Jonquel Jones and Brionna Jones.
Jones, 2021 WNBA MVP, played for Bosnia-Herzegovina against Belgium in the first qualifying match for FIBA Women’s Eurobasket 2023. J. Jones had 44 points, 22 rebounds, four assists, and a steal. She led her national team to an 87-81 victory. In their second qualifying match against North Macedonia and fellow Connecticut Sun player, DeWanna Bonner; J. Jones and Bosnia-Herzegovina won 80-64. J. Jones had 30 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and one block on the outing.
After missing the first qualifying match, Bonner, with her national team North Macedonia, fell to Bosnia-Herzegovina in their second qualifying match for FIBA Women’s Eurobasket 2023. Bonner had 11 points, nine rebounds, and one block.
Brionna Jones and the USA 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup Team won the gold medal at the inaugural FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup, qualifying a spot for next year’s World Cup. B. Jones’ team—comprised of Haley Gorecki, Blake Dietrick, and Cierra Burdick—were a dominating force, going 5-0 in the tournament. In their first match against Trinidad and Tobago, B. Jones had seven points and seven rebounds in their 22-2 victory. In their second game against Argentina, another 22-2 win, B. Jones led the team with 11 points and seven rebounds. USA beat the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals, with a 21-7 defeat. B. Jones had 11 points in the contest. In the semifinals, the US beat Puerto Rico 21-11, with B. Jones scoring six points. USA met and defeated Brazil in the finals with a score of 21-9. B. Jones scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds. B. Jones’ efforts and performance throughout the tournament—leading the women’s event in scoring with 8.2 points per game—landed her the title of tournament MVP.
Connecticut Sun players will be back in action on November 17, 2021, as B. Jones, Alyssa Thomas and their team ZVVZ USK Praha take on Czech Women’s Basketball League opponent, KP BRNO. J. Jones, Natisha Hiedeman, and Kaila Charles will resume play on November 18, 2021. Stephanie Jones, Jasmine Thomas, and Beatrice Mompremier all have games on November 20, 2021. And the week’s games will be capped off on November 21, 2021, with games from Hiedeman, B. Jones, A. Thomas, and a matchup between J. Jones’ UMMC Ekaterinburg and Charles’ Dinamo-Guvd Novosibirsk in the Russian Women’s Basketball League at 7:00am EST.
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