Connecticut’s Brionna Jones (42) was hurt late in Tuesday night’s win over Seattle. She has been ruled out of Thursday night’s game at Minnesota.
The Connecticut Sun picked up their tenth win of the season Tuesday night against the Seattle Storm but the Sun weren’t in much of a celebratory mood.
The Sun used a 22-8 run in the third quarter to beat the Storm, 85-79 to improve to 10-3 but the thoughts of the Sun were with Brionna Jones, who suffered an apparent leg injury in the final minute of the game.
The seventh-year forward out of Maryland had to be helped off the court after getting hurt in a non-contact injury. She pushed off her right foot and fell to the court, reaching for her ankle. Jones didn’t put any weight on her right leg as she was helped off the court.
The Sun didn’t provide any update on Jones immediately after the game and the team ruled her out of Thursday’s game in Minnesota with a lower leg injury in a pre-game report issued Wednesday afternoon.
It’s been an outstanding season for Jones, who had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists in the win over Seattle.
The 6-foot-3 forward has career-highs in points (15.9), rebounds (8.2), steals (1.8), assists (2.4) and minutes (31.6) for Connecticut, which played in the WNBA finals a year ago.
The Sun have relied heavily on Jones, DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas this season. The three players combined to score 60 of 89 points in a recent win over Atlanta and 62 of 94 points in a win over Las Vegas.
Thomas is averaging 14.8 points per game with career-highs in rebounds (10.5 per game), assists (8.0) and steals (2.1). Bonner is averaging a team-leading 17.9 points a game.
The Sun have challenged by the absence of starting players over the past few seasons. Thomas missed nearly the entire 2021 season after rupturing her achilles tendon playing overseas. Guard Jasmine Thomas missed most of the 2022 campaign after tearing her ACL.
In 2020, Jonquel Jones passed on the WNBA season played in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connecticut has been looking for additional contributions to supplement the play of Jones, Thomas and Bonner this season. They got some on Tuesday against the Storm.
Guard Natisha Hiedeman had 17 points, just two shy of her season-high, with three 3-point baskets. She has scored just 25 points total in her last seven games with two games without a single point.
Thomas was truly the person that makes this team go with another triple double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. Bonner scored 20 points.
“We didn’t play our best basketball in the first half but we came out in the third quarter and established ourselves at both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively,” Sun coach Stephanie White said after the game. “Seattle is a team that continues to battle and they keep coming at you. I’m thankful we put ourselves in position to win on the road.”
White did not address Jones’ injury.
Down by three at halftime, Connecticut outscored Seattle 15-5 to open the second half. Hiedeman had an outstanding third quarter with 10 points.
Seattle was led by Jewell Loyd, who had 33 points, four assists and three steals.
Thursday night’s game with Minnesota will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston and the CBS Sports Network.
Connecticut 85, Seattle 79
At Seattle
Connecticut (85) Bonner 8-17 2-2 20, Thomas 6-12 1-2 13, Jones 4-9 5-7 13, Hayes 4-7 4-5 12, Hiedeman 7-15 0-1 17, Allen 0-1 0-0 0, Carrington 1-5 2-2 4, Harris 0-1 0-0 0, Nelson-Ododa 2-2 2-2 6. Totals 32-69 16-21 85
Seattle (79) Nurse 2-7 0-0 4, Magbegor 4-7 5-6 13, Russell 2-6 1-2 5, Loyd 8-20 11-12 33, Dojkic 1-6 3-6 5, Holmes 1-2 1-1 3, Horston 5-10 0-0 11, Whitcomb 1-5 2-2 5, Melbourne 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-64 23-29 79
Connecticut (10-3) 22 23 22 18 — 85
Seattle (3-8) 25 23 8 23 — 79
Three-point goals: Connecticut (5-18) Bonner 2-5, Hayes 0-2, Hiedeman 3-8, Allen 0-1, Carrington 0-1, Harris 0-1; Seattle (8-25) Nurse 0-3, Magbegor 0-1, Loyd 6-15, Horston 1-2, Whitcomb 1-4
