Brionna Jones (born December 18, 1995) is an American professional basketball center for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and currently with USK Prague of the Czech Women's Basketball League.[1] She was drafted with the 8th overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft.[2]
No. 42 – Connecticut Sun | |||||||||||||||
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Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||
League | WNBA | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | December 18, 1995||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school | Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Maryland) | ||||||||||||||
College | Maryland (2014–2017) | ||||||||||||||
WNBA draft | 2017: 1st round, 8th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
Selected by the Connecticut Sun | |||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2017–present | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
2017–present | Connecticut Sun | ||||||||||||||
2017–2019 | Nadezhda Orenburg | ||||||||||||||
2019–present | USK Prague | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Stats at WNBA.com | |||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Early life
editJones was born to Michael and Sanciarhea Jones. Jones is from Havre de Grace, Maryland. She has an older brother Jarred, a younger sister, Stephanie, and a younger brother, Jordan. She attended Aberdeen High School, and led her high school to a state championship her junior year.[3]
College career
editJones attended the University of Maryland, where she graduated in three years and majored in kinesiology.[4]
WNBA career
editIn the 2017 WNBA draft Jones was selected 8th overall by the Connecticut Sun.
Jones broke out in the 2020 WNBA Bubble and showed signs of top super-star potential.
In 2021 Jones had her breakout year averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 30.6 minutes while starting all 32 games for the Sun this season. Her previous career highs in each of those categories were all set with the Sun in 2020, when she averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 26.1 minutes in 21 games. Jones was selected as a 2021 WNBA All Star. Jones helped the Sun post the highest winning percentage in franchise history (.813) and finish the regular season with 14 consecutive victories for the fourth-longest winning streak in WNBA history. With her improvement and her becoming one of the next stars in the WNBA Jones was named the 2021 WNBA Most Improved Player Award, Jones was also named to the 2021 WNBA All Defensive Second Team .[5]
On June 23, 2023, Jones suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in her right leg, necessitating season–ending surgery.[6]
Career statistics
editWNBA
editRegular season
editStats current through end of 2024 season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Connecticut | 23 | 0 | 6.4 | .575 | — | .833 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.9 |
2018 | Connecticut | 27 | 0 | 9.0 | .469 | — | .727 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.1 |
2019 | Connecticut | 27 | 0 | 8.4 | .467 | .000 | .667 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 |
2020 | Connecticut | 21 | 21 | 26.1 | .605 | 1.000 | .691 | 5.6 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 11.2 |
2021 | Connecticut | 32 | 32 | 30.6 | .571 | .000 | .796 | 7.3 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 14.7 |
2022 | Connecticut | 36 | 7 | 25.1 | .571 | .000 | .844 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 13.8 |
2023 | Connecticut | 13 | 13 | 31.7 | .571 | .500 | .776 | 8.2 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 15.9 |
2024 | Connecticut | 40° | 40° | 27.2 | .539 | .143 | .738 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 13.7 |
Career | 8 years, 1 team | 219 | 113 | 20.8 | .557 | .172 | .772 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 10.1 |
All-Star | 3 | 0 | 12.3 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 8.0 |
Playoffs
editYear | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Connecticut | 8 | 0 | 4.4 | .625 | — | 1.000 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
2020 | Connecticut | 7 | 7 | 28.3 | .453 | — | .889 | 7.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 9.4 |
2021 | Connecticut | 4 | 4 | 25.8 | .594 | — | .643 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 11.8 |
2022 | Connecticut | 12 | 0 | 21.3 | .522 | .000 | .711 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 10.3 |
2023 | Connecticut | Did not play (season-ending injury) | |||||||||||
2024 | Connecticut | 7 | 7 | 19.9 | .482 | .000 | .769 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 9.1 |
Career | 5 years, 1 team | 38 | 18 | 19.2 | .508 | .000 | .737 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 8.2 |
College
editYear | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013–14 | Maryland | 35 | 13 | 16.2 | .607 | — | .554 | 4.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 6.9 |
2014–15 | Maryland | 37 | 37 | 24.4 | .601 | .000 | .634 | 8.9 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 12.4 |
2015–16 | Maryland | 35 | 34 | 25.9 | .665 | — | .635 | 9.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 15.2 |
2016–17 | Maryland | 35 | 35 | 26.8 | .690 | .000 | .767 | 10.9 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 19.9 |
Career | 142 | 119 | 23.3 | .650 | .000 | .672 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 13.6 |
Personal life
editJones's sister, Stephanie, played with her on the Connecticut Sun in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Brionna JONES at the EuroLeague Women 2019–20". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ Shaffer, Jonas (April 13, 2017). "Maryland's Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Brionna Jones selected in top 10 of WNBA draft". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
- ^ "Everything's in place for Brionna Jones". November 8, 2016.
- ^ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ "Connecticut Sun Brionna Jones Named 2021 KIA Most Improved Player". WNBA.com – Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Sun's Brionna Jones undergoes Achilles surgery, out for season". espn.com. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ "Brionna Jones WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
- ^ "Brionna Jones College Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ "Sisters Brionna and Stephanie Jones reunite in Connecticut Sun training camp". ctpost.com. Connecticut Post. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.com and Basketball Reference