by RENALDO DORSETT
With another stellar performance in the WNBA preseason, Bahamian basketball star Jonquel Jones has the Connecticut Sun franchise eagerly looking forward to the regular season.
Jones finished with a double double, 10 points and 12 rebounds in the Sun’s 76-53 win over the San Antonio Stars last night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
The rookie forward led the team in rebounds for the second consecutive night, shot 4-8 from the field and also added a blocked shot in 20 minutes.
The Sun placed four players in double figures led by fellow rookie Morgan Tuck with 16, Kelsey Bone scored 15 and Alyssa Thomas finished with 12 points.
Alex Montgomery and Sydney Colson led the Stars with eight points each.
The Sun led wire to wire in the contest and took a 21-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second, they limited the Stars to just two points and a single field goal as they outscored the visitors 21-2 in the period.
Connecticut took a commanding 42-15 lead into the half. The Stars would actually outscore the Sun 23-18 in the third quarter but would never threaten. Jones scored four points and added four rebounds in the final period.
The Grand Bahama native finished the preseason with averages of nine points and eight rebounds.
She finished with eight points, four rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes in the Sun’s 84-81 win over the Chicago Sky Tuesday night in the first game of the back to back.
Selected at No.6 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks, they immediately traded Jones to the Sun in exchange for Chelsea Gray and the Sun’s first round pick in 2017.
After a dismal season where they finished 15-19 and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the Sun added three of the top six picks in last month’s WNBA Draft: Jones, Tuck and Rachel Banham.
They will open the 2016 regular season against the Chicago Sky on May 14 and will play their first home game May 21 against the Washington Mystics.