The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE postseason accolades continue to roll in for Bahamian WNBA superstar Jonquel Jones.

Jones was named to the All-WNBA Second Team as the league continued to roll out its postseason awards.

It concludes a season where the second year Connecticut Sun forward averaged a double double, set the league's single season rebounds total, was named an All-Star and was awarded as the WNBA's Most Improved Player.

Joining Jones on the second team are Nneka Ogwumike, and Chelsea Gray of the Los Angeles Sparks along with Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury.

"Truly honoured to be acknowledged with a group as accomplished and well-rounded as this," Jones posted on various social media accounts.

The All-WNBA First Team is headlined by league MVP Sylvia Fowles of the Minnesota Lynx. She is joined on the team by Tina Charles of the New York Liberty, Skylar Diggins-Smith of the Dallas Wings, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx.

Jones finished the year averaging 15.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game - a dramatic increase from her rookie season when she averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Her record-setting total was 403 rebounds for the season. She also added 20 double doubles.

The Sparks finished the regular season with a record of 26-8, and the league's top mark of 16-1 at home.

Jones' historic season included several individual milestones, including becoming just the second player in league history to record three 20-rebound games in a single season.

In the season opener on May 13, she finished with eight points and 20 rebounds against the Atlanta Dream and had a 23-point, 21-rebound performance against the Chicago Sky on May 28. She finished with 14 points, a career high 22 rebounds and career high six assists in an 86-76 win over the Washington Mystics in August.

Charles was the previous record holder with 398 rebounds and was the only other player to record three 20-rebound games in a single season. Charles set the record in 2010 as a rookie with the Sun. In that season, she averaged 15.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.

Jones also became the seventh player to average 11 rebounds in a season. She is also just the seventh player in league history to average at least 15 points and 11 rebounds in a season.

Jones' improvement also coincided with the Sun's rise as a team.

In 2016, they finished the season 14-20, 5th in Eastern Conference, and missed the postseason despite a dramatic midseason turnaround. This season, the Sun improved to 21-13 and clinched a top four seed in the playoff standings.They were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs with an 88-83 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

Jones continued to be a record setter in her playoff debut with 19 points and 15 rebounds, the second most rebounds in a WNBA playoff debut.