After sitting out last season due to concerns over COVID-19, Jones came . She is now the head coach at Towson State. Jones journey took her to the home of Diane Richardson and family in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, about 40 miles south of Baltimore. She finished the season averaging a double-double in points and rebounds and also averaged career-highs in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, quickly emerging as one of the rising young stars in the league. During the 201617 off-season, Jones signed with Asan Woori Bank Wibee of the Womens Korean Basketball League and won a championship with the team. Her world travels have given her nuanced views of each place shes visited. But to maintain their position, theyll need to find a way to survive without arguably their most indispensable player. She came to me and asked to be let go in order for her to be able to make certain career moves, and in no way did I want to get in the way of what someone wants for their career, Robins said. She got drafted in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks with the 6th overall pick. She stated: I think overseas in general, the crowd, has a bigger appreciation for womens basketball. When she came into the league, she was one of my favorites (because of) the way she plays, her style of play. A seven-month, competitive season turned into about seven games total, with an awful lot of practice time. Her block rate is down from her last season in 2019, but her 1.5 steals per game place her at 10th in the league. Jones believes her decision to embrace her identity as a lesbian and dress more authentically came with material consequences. Just like that, we lost Jones to Bosnia. Shes such a positive person at the end of the bench, and she doesnt complain. She rarely talks about the details of her partners name, dating life, and sexual orientation. WNBA, talent wise, is up there, there is a lot of talent every night and every team can win. It is unclear if her parents are from Bosnia, but Jonquel holds the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina since May 2019, and it allows her to play for the national team. She started all 34 games, averaged more than 15 points and was named to her first All-Star Game. She averaged 6.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.1 bpg in 34 games with 6 starts. This is Connecticut if you dont like your teammates, its going to be a long season. Still, voters seem to be heavily swayed by statistics, and they may not give Wilson another MVP award if her scoring numbers dont increase. 1 Connecticut Sun keep it up without her? 1 team in the league if the Sun struggle without Jones. Jones is hoping to be back in time to face the Washington Mystics on June 29, meaning she would miss five games. Under the Bahamian constitution, if a Bahamian takes the citizenship of another country, the Governor General can strip that person of her citizenship. Jones signed as a BTC brand ambassador in 2017. Center Jonquel Jones, the Suns leading scorer and rebounder, is leaving Sunday to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the FIBA European Womens basketball championship commonly called EuroBasket and will be away from her team for most of June. It was the first time she had been home in a long time but was necessary because she had to get her U.S. visa renewed. 2 Seattle Storm without her. Connecticut will be without Jones indefinitely as she's leaving. Beneath the numbers and accolades, though, lies the biggest area for improvement Jones leadership. The Aces have been one of the best teams in the league again this season, and Wilson is clearly the driving force behind their success. In October 2017, Jones signed with Shanxi Flame of the Womens Chinese Basketball Association for the 2017-18 off-season. , I was able to do laundry, I was able to clean my bathrooms, I was able to go to the grocery store. Defector Freelancer Policies, Created In Partnership With The National Writers Union, last year's collective bargaining agreement, soliciting movie streaming recommendations. I've worked hard and I'm happy to be in that conversation, but I also know the conversation doesnt happen if your team isnt winning basketball games, Jones said at shootaround before the Liberty game. She has unbelievable gratitude. She is down a little bit.. "Coach Goran Lojo and Bosnia decided that . Site developed by REV Media. I feel like were playing really, really great basketball. But so far, Jonesnow in her fifth season in the leaguehas made a very convincing case for MVP, and some time away shouldnt change that. Getty Images. Between the departures of Chiney Ogwumike and Courtney Williams in consecutive offseasons, Jones opting out of the bubble last year, and the injury to guard Alyssa Thomas this year, no team has weathered the losses of core players better than Connecticut lately. Overall, the atmosphere overseas is second to none., Off the court, Jones noted that she continues to search for a balance between her sexuality and her spirituality. Joness dominance and consistency has made her the current favorite to win league MVP, but will missing most of June take her out of the MVP discussion? The very idea of Rylo began in Russia, where Jones played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the 2018-19 WNBA offseason. Win shares is an advanced statistic that estimates the total number of wins a player produces for their team through offense and defense, and helps measure a players contributions to their teams success. The thud of that 2018 playoff loss echoed in the Suns ears all offseason. Since May 2019, Jones also holds the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina nations which enables her to play for their national teams. Jonquel Jones, the WNBA Bahamian sensation, who was born and raised in Eight Mile Rock and came up under Coach Gladstone Moon McPhee, is no longer a Bahamian or so we think. [1] Since May 2019,[2] she also holds the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing her to play for the national team. NewsBreak provides latest and breaking news about Jonquel Jones. The Sun were a championship contender in the league, finishing with a 23-11 record and the number 2 seed, receiving a double bye to the semi-finals. The center was crowned the WNBA blocks leader in 2019, WNBA MVP in 2021 and as a WNBA All . Your team has to win basketball games and you have to be a player thats going to keep your team in contention to be the best in the league.. Can the No. After a dominant first 10 games, Jones is the odds-on favorite to win the MVP award this season, according to DraftKings. Im just going to handle it.. While competing for the Bahamas as a youngster, sports also took her to the Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago. Jonquel entered the career as Athlete In her early life after completing her formal education.. League MVP votersa mix of sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league across the U.S.have been predictable in their criteria for deciding which individual player made the biggest impact during the regular season. In the first quarter of a mid-August game against the Lynx, Jonquel Jones caught the ball at the crest of the three-point arc and saw a defense arrayed against her. The Sun look like contenders again this year, having won eight of their first 10 games. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We need to investigate all credible hypotheses | Alison Young, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson on Radio 4 as she defends Matt Hancock leak, Blink-182 Announces Theyre Postponing Latin American Tour Dates, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UklV54RvGq0&t=55s. Basketball has taken her so many places. The latest ESPN Cover Story featuring Connecticut Sun forward and reigning WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones debuts today across the network's digital, linear and social platforms.ESPN Cover Story is the sports fan's monthly ticket to the biggest stories on the most captivating athletes - told with inside access, bold reporting and unforgettable visuals. A native of the Bahamas, Jones changed her citizenship to Bosnia-Herzegovenian in a move designed to access the EuroLeague more easily. Its a long season, Jones said, so I wont get too high or too low about it., Meet Oklahoma Softballs Smash Sisters10-Year-Old Pepper Persley Is Making a Name for Herself in Sports MediaAdoptee, Amputee and Multi-Sport Star: Oksana Masters Keeps Beating the Odds. Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) President Charles Softly Robins yesterday confirmed with Eyewitness News Sports that Jones asked to be released from The Bahamas national team in order to compete for Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH). But Rylo is more than a wagging tail and lick on the face at the end of a hard day. Jones, for her part, strung together three consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. Connecticut will be without Jones indefinitely as she's leaving. Connecticut's move for the next few games is probably relying more heavily on two other excellent two-way frontcourt options, Dewanna Bonner and Brionna Jones, who play well alongside each other and sometimes team up on defense to especially annoy opposing guards. She played college basketball for George Washington and Clemson. Joness net worth might be in the millions, as she is one of the most successful basketball players in the WNBA. She also had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists. It's now a four-years-running joke among people who follow the WNBA that we've all underestimated Connecticut again. Its all a popularity contest and politics in wbb. She could certainly build up more momentum to overtake Jones while Jones is away. Citizenship is also granted to children adopted by citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina citizens. Despite her personal success, the Mystics (45) are under .500, and sit eighth in the standings, which would earn them the final playoff spot if the postseason ended today. We started thinking championship, said guard Jasmine Thomas, instead of this game, this week, one game at a time.. The league's summer schedule and low pay forces players with contracts overseas and lucrative national team commitments to miss large chunks of an already short WNBA season. Putin Signs Bill to Suspend Arms Pact with U.S. Police Arrest Three in Italy Migrant Boat Shipwreck, Business Booming at Sandals Royal Bahamian, $352m Development Planned for Montage Cay. Since then, the 28-year-old Connecticut Sun forward has gone on to win a myriad of WNBA accolades, including Most Improved Player of the Year, Sixth Woman of the Year, two-time All-WNBA second team selection, an All-WNBA first team selection, a four time All-Star and the league MVP. But Jones will miss four to six games as she competes for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2021 EuroBasket tournament. The Connecticut Suns Jonquel Jones shoots while defended by the Washington Mystics Aerial Powers in Game 4 of the 2019 WNBA Finals. In the semi-finals, the Sun swept the Los Angeles Sparks 3-0 to advance to the WNBA Finals, making it the franchises first finals appearance since 2005. The Los Angeles Sparks drafted Jones with the sixth pick in the 2015 draft, but traded her to Connecticut for Chelsea Gray on draft night. However, her monthly salary with the Foxes is reportedly comparable to her yearly salary in the WNBA. I remember when Jonquel Jones was the smallest player on the court but I still had to assign my two best defenders to guard her because she was also the best primary school player in the Bahamas. Watching the Sun add and subtract without much change in fortunes is a little like going on the world's most frustrating elimination diet. NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamian basketball star and WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones was stuck in Russia for a bit once that country decided to invade Ukraine, but many may wonder why Jones was in Russia. . The couple had seven children, two sons,DavidandTino, and five daughters,Pristina,Juanita,Danielle,Jonquel, andNiya. (Jones) just loved him right from the beginning. It is unclear if her parents are from Bosnia, but Jonquel holds the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina since May 2019, and it allows her to play for the national team. And I basically went through college fighting that and feeling like I had to put that side of myself kind of on the back burner, she said. Connecticut has been one of the WNBAs most consistently successful teams, making the playoffs four straight seasons, including the Finals in 2019. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Jonquel Jones Response To Bahamians Because She Changed Her Citizenship (posted on FB), Leader Of The Opposition At Dinner With The Chinese, THE PLP NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL SETTLES IN, Fox Hill Branch Meeting 23 February 2023, Fred Mitchell at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, THE UNPRIESTLY RANT BY THE ANGLICAN CLERIC, FRED MITCHELL: THE CLERIC, THE FNM AND PRAISES THE PLP NGC, PLP CHAIRMAN ADDRESSES NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL, THE MID YEAR BUDGET BY THE FINANCE MINISTER, PLP SAYS NO TO IMMIGRATION COMMITTEE REQUEST, DUANE SANDS FINDS HIS VOICE BUT ITS CHOKING, REMEMBERING SIDNEY POITIER THE BAHAMIAN ACTOR, Michael Pintard Off To Andros In Red Shoes, Fred Mitchell Senior Born 22 February 1919. I cant tell you how normal that makes you feel. Jonquel Jones is a Bahamian-Bosnian professional basketball player. Jonquel is an ideal celebrity influencer. Im happy with how weve been doing with that.. Jonquel Jones has been a big reason why the Connecticut Sun have been one of the WNBA's top teams early this season. Shes productive in the minutes that we ask of her, Miller said. She would lead the league in rebounds once again and averaged a career-high in blocks, steals and minutes by the end of the season. There have always been guards in the MVP mix, but the last 10 years show its nearly impossible for them to win the award. The closest thing to home base would be my coachs house in Maryland where I lived when I was growing up, she said. The day after dropping a season-high 31 points and 13 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun dismantle the New York Liberty 8564 last Saturday, Jonquel Jones boarded a plane to Europe. (AP). Jonquel Jones @jus242 Proud Bahamian/ Bosnian WNBA Player for the Connecticut Sun #35 Journey TBC.. Born January 5, 1994 Joined December 2012 157 Following 12.6K Followers Tweets Tweets & replies Media Likes Id bend her off the dribble, Griner said. Jones's net worth might be in the millions, as she is one of the most successful basketball players in the WNBA. The most glaring numbers in the box score in the last two losses have been Jones shooting stats shes gone just 4 of 22, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range. She wanted to move to the United States to pursue basketball, but her parents did not think they could pay for Jonquel to live and attend school outside of the Bahamas. Playing for Bosnia will allow her access to a number of high paying European leagues that she wouldnt be able to play in otherwise. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. UNCASVILLE, Conn. The ball bounces on the gleaming hardwood of Mohegan Sun Arena, the home of the Connecticut Sun. She is expected to miss less than a fifth of the season, and if her production doesnt drop off, shes still on pace to lead the league in win shares at the end of the season despite missing games. I feel like Im playing really, really great basketball. I mentioned the rarity of her game offensivelyshe's a 6-foot-6 sometimes-center (sometimes-forward) shooting an incredible 48.9 percent from three-point range. I just feel like things are just trending upward for us. If they continue their dominant form when she returns, they should be able to remain at the top of the standings, even if they lose a few games while she is away. You can go from a game where the gym is full to some games where there are a few people in the stands. Good, she will do much better not toying around here with these begging joker politicians and childish dependent fickle Bahamian masses. With her large number of social media fans, she often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with her huge fan base on social media platforms. 2021-2022 - Our News. Investigations Progressing in High Profile Cases, Some MPs Rush to Meet Disclosure Deadline, U.S. Navy Wants Sustainable Solutions for Haiti, PM: Additional Manpower Not Needed in Haiti, PM Holness Leads Special CARICOM Mission To Haiti, Two Arrested At Illegal Gold Mine In Guyana, Mass Mexican Rally Against Electoral Reform. The Suns practice has just concluded, and running after that errant ball at full speed is Rylo, Jonquel Jones miniature goldendoodle. Jones signed as a BTC brand ambassador in 2017. Fans might found about Joness partner or boyfriend once she reveals it to the public. She was drafted with the 6th overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft. It could be the case that missing six games of a 32-game regular season will hurt her MVP chances, but maybe absence makes the MVP case grow stronger. In the 10 games played, Jones averaged 10.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game and shot 55.6%. Famously known by the Family name Jonquel Orthea Jones, is a great Athlete. 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